


The Mystery of the Disappearing Esperanza

by rain_sleet_snow



Series: Hotspots [4]
Category: Primeval
Genre: Epistolary, F/F, F/M, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-22
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-03-08 16:34:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3216011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rain_sleet_snow/pseuds/rain_sleet_snow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A boat goes missing in the Bermuda Triangle, or: What Abby and Hilary Did On Their Summer Holiday/Expertise-Sharing Exercise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For Stella, who gave me the prompt ‘something Becker-centric but teamy to do with anomalies in the Bermuda Triangle'. With infinite thanks to Annariel, fredbassett and Luka who all graciously shared their expertise and told me I’d made Connor’s grammar too good.

_Press cuttings composing part of James Lester’s daily briefing, 31/03/09._

 

30 March 2009

 

**US businessman missing off Florida coast**

 

Serious concerns have been raised for the welfare of yachtsman Mr Kyle Akerman, who has been out of contact for two days. A capable sailor, he left the Monroe County Yacht Club with his yacht _Esperanza_ in the early hours of March 28, telling Maddie Reynard, Assistant Harbourmaster, that he expected to be back before 17.00. When Mr Akerman, 52, failed to return, Ms Reynard raised the alarm with the coastguard, but successive searches have failed to find any trace of Mr Akerman or the _Esperanza_.

 

“We continue our active search for Mr Akerman,” said Lt. Charles Petty, spokesman for the United States Coast Guard. “Conditions are good, and no signs of a wreck have been found. We hold out hope that Mr Akerman is still safe and well.” Lt. Petty confirmed that Mr. Akerman disappeared in the notorious ‘Bermuda Triangle’, but said that there was no reason to believe that Mr. Akerman was not alive and well.

 

The BBC understands that Mr Akerman may have contacted the US Coast Guard shortly before his disappearance, but the content and context of this communication are unknown.

 

John Claud Reveille II, Mr Akerman’s business partner and close personal friend, has appealed for information. “I can’t believe Kyle would up and vanish for no good reason,” he said. “It’s not his kind of thing.”

 

© BBC News, 2009.

 

 

**American businessman vanishes in Bermuda Triangle mystery**

**\- Kyle Akerman, 52-year-old multibillionaire, last seen on Thursday morning**

**\- US Coast Guard unable to account for mysterious disappearance**

**\- Business partner and family anxiously waiting for news**

 

By: Daily Mail Reporter

 

The members of the exclusive Monroe County Yacht Club, Key West, Florida were left reeling yesterday as one of their best sailors disappeared from sight in calm seas. Kyle Akerman, a property developer with real estate worldwide, was last seen by Maddie Reynard, Assistant Harbourmaster, very early on Thursday morning.

 

“It was about six, six-thirty,” she said. “Real early to see him out here, you know? I asked him if he had special plans or if he just wanted to go see the _Esperanza_ , and he said he was just going out for a day sailing to get away from things.”

 

Mr Akerman is an experienced sailor known for his daring, and is currently in the middle of a custody battle for his daughter Lucia with estranged wife Martina. But marital troubles may not have been the only disturbance out on the water. A source close to the Coast Guard told the Daily Mail that Mr Akerman made a single call for assistance shortly before losing radio contact, describing a ‘huge, massive thing, no really, all sparkling like a motherf***ing diamond’ out to sea. However, a spokesman for the US Coast Guard said that there was no reason to believe that Mr Akerman had been hurt in any way, or that there were any suspicious circumstances behind his disappearance in the infamous Bermuda Triangle.

 

John Claud Reveille II, Mr Akerman’s business partner and close personal friend, has asked anyone with any information to come forward. “I can’t believe Kyle would up and vanish for no good reason,” he said. “It’s not his kind of thing.”

 

 

***

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: What is this claptrap?

 

Am I seriously expected to believe that some American oligarch has gone fishing through an anomaly in the Bermuda Triangle?

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

-

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: What is this claptrap?

 

I take it you haven’t yet received my email. Belinda Jones called from the FCO. The American Ambassador is making a very determined attempt to get a lunch appointment with you.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

-

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: What is this claptrap?

 

Stop him.

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

-

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: What is this claptrap?

 

RECORD OF CALL RECEIVED FROM HE MICHAEL PENNEKAMP, AMERICAN AMBASSADOR

 

The Ambassador’s personal assistant called on the direct line at 10.28. I spoke at length with him and determined that the Ambassador required a personal conversation relating to matters of national security and the Kyle Akerman disappearance at your earliest convenience. Mr Pennekamp was keen to speak to you personally, but I explained that you were currently in a meeting and could not be disturbed.

 

You have a clear spot in your diary at 15.00 on the 2nd. I have taken the liberty of enquiring as to Mr Pennekamp’s commitments for the same time.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

_Notes from James Lester’s meeting with His Excellency Mr Arnold Pennekamp, American Ambassador to the Court of St James, typed up and saved to the ARC’s contacts file by James Lester_

 

            J. Lester met HE Mr Arnold Pennekamp for a coffee meeting in central London at 15.00 on the 2nd of April, 2009. AP was agitated and made numerous increasingly unveiled references to anomalies, and to Mr Akerman (see press database entry #1,192) and his disappearance. Mr Akerman appears to be simultaneously a major political donor and an individual the FBI would like to assist them with their enquiries.

 

            JL enquired whether Mr Akerman had been a personal friend and insinuated a lack of understanding as to why he had been called on to discuss Mr Akerman’s disappearance. AP seemed perturbed.

 

            AP mentioned ‘abnormalities’.

 

            JL mentioned the Bermuda Triangle.

 

            AP persisted in his hints, referencing military involvement, transatlantic cooperation, and Anglosphere intelligence sharing. JL referred him to the Home Secretary and the Ministry of Defence. AP said he might take him up on that. J. Lester suggested that he do so and looked forward to being able to assist AP in the future.

 

            JL parted company with AP at approximately 16.30 and returned to the Anomaly Research Centre. It is JL’s opinion that AP will seek to press the issue, and American contact through other channels should be expected.

 

***

_Press cutting composing part of James Lester’s daily briefing, 05/04/09. From the back pages of that week’s New Scientist:_

 

            We at the New Scientist were interested to receive a communication from Lucia, aged 12, who lives in Florida and likes reading the Last Word. _(Ed: Congratulations on your good taste, Lucia!)_ Lucia enclosed several pictures taken while whale-watching on a school trip last month and asked us to identify the animals in them, since none of her teachers could. We don’t recognise them either – whatever they are, they’re certainly very unusual, and although we don’t mean to impugn Lucia’s honesty or that of her teachers, our in-house experts have confirmed that they’re not Photoshopped either. A palaeontologist loose in our offices suggested that they most closely resembled some kind of ichthyosaur, but the photos were obviously taken from a moving boat and they’re not completely clear. Is it possible that a few surviving specimens of a prehistoric species, thought extinct, are living and hunting in the Gulf of Mexico? If so, palaeontologists and marine biologists should hurry to Florida and start their research. The next coelacanth may be waiting for them.

 

***

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: list:all

Subject: The New Scientist article

 

Dear all,

 

I have received all 8 copies of the New Scientist article relating to ichthyosaurs in the Florida Keys, not including the copy that was placed in with my press cuttings this morning. Staff may stop drawing my attention to it: it has been well and truly noted.

 

The individuals who put in applications for leave along with copies of the article may cancel their flights to Florida. If a team from the ARC investigates these anomalies it will be with the Americans’ full knowledge and consent, and the team will be selected after due consideration of the case. There will be no amateur investigation. We are not the Scooby Gang.

 

Sincerely,

 

J. Lester

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman disappearance

 

Set up a call with the Minister and another meeting with the American ambassador. This bears further examination.

 

Also, find out what that businessman’s daughter is called. I think it was in the press cuttings on his disappearance. I have a nasty feeling her name is Lucia and the photos sent to NS were taken by a young girl called Lucia. I cannot and will not have feisty girl detectives attempting to investigate anomalies at sea, and suspect the Americans feel similarly.

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

 

From: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

To: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

Subject: Answer your phone

 

That’s the third time in three weeks you’ve missed a call, what’s going on?

 

From: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

To: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Answer your phone

 

Give me a chance, you sent this three seconds after I missed your call. The first time I was out at a you-know-what, the second time I was somewhere I can’t tell you about (but I’m fine), and this time Temple blew the kettle up and set the kitchen on fire so I had to do something about it. Don’t ask me why he was in the office at this unholy hour of the morning, he isn’t a morning person like you. I’m sorry. Don’t worry.

 

You’ve gone out of signal range. When can I call you back?

 

How’s the PhD?

 

From: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

To: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Answer your phone

 

Don’t ask. Just don’t ask. I’m told the inner turmoil, exhaustion and terror is normal, but I just want it all to be over now. I hate Redford. He was a shitty supervisor. Did you know he’s got another book deal? He says he wants to be the David Starkey of the archaeology world.

 

Oh, and I hadn’t gone out of signal range, I microwaved my phone, because I am SO TIRED. Mum keeps trying to get me to come home for the weekend but I have way too much to do. Call me on my landline. I know you have the number. If you think you haven’t got the number check your next of kin records. On a related note, how’s your mother? And your boss? Are your colleagues still dicks?

 

I forgive you for not answering your phone because I’ve royally screwed up mine.

 

From: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

To: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Answer your phone

 

You are not fit to be let out without a keeper. Your mother is right, go home and get some sleep. (She keeps trying to invite me home for Sunday lunch, but I remember her ratatouille thing that gave us all food poisoning: when’s your Dad back from his conference? And when’s your viva?)

 

My mother is alive and contrived to send me a birthday card somehow. My father is still telling anyone who’ll listen about his disappointment of a son but has yet to communicate the fact that he’s disappointed in me because I’m never going to marry a nice girl and settle down, on account of being significantly too gay for that. Last time I was in Hereford the colonel was trying to pump me for information on my alleged sins, evidently having crossed paths with my father at some kind of do. Can’t say I’ve committed any sins he doesn’t know about, so he was shit out of luck. Worse, Major Ryan was sympathetic. I thought he’d been kidnapped and replaced with some other legendary, Cutter-thumping, thing-with-too-many-teeth-slaughtering senior officer who looks just like him but actually likes people.

 

Colleagues have improved, anyway. Some of them are still distrustful but at least they don’t think I’m some green, shiny-haired officer with a stick the size of the Empire State Building up his arse any more. Or at least if they do they keep it to th

 

FUCK’S SAKE TEMPLE STOP READING OVER MY SHOULDER

 

From: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

To: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Answer your phone

 

I didn’t mean to send that as it was. Temple can’t distinguish between best friends and girlfriends and is operating under a variety of delusions I can’t seem to free him of, maybe because Dr Page (you haven’t met her, you’d like her, she’s an Egyptologist) and Quinn (you haven’t met him either and you wouldn’t like him) are encouraging him. Abby Maitland is a saint and stands up for me but everyone else thinks it’s funny. Aargh.

 

I know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t he know I’m chronically uninterested in women? Apparently not. He didn’t manage to read much of my email. Maybe I should have let him? Anyway, I will not come out just to shut Temple up. That would be petty. It’s no-one’s business who I fuck.

 

Anyway, I wanted to say that if you now think Redford’s a shitty supervisor, are you not pining over him any more?

 

From: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

To: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Answer your phone

 

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO CONNOR TEMPLE: LEAVE BECK ALONE, HE HAS ENOUGH PROBLEMS, PLUS IS LIKE AN EXTRA WHINY BROTHER TO ME.

 

No I am not pining over Redford any more. We went over this at Christmas.

 

My viva is on the 12th of June. Dad has been back from his conference since Tuesday.  If you have any leave go and see them, they would love it. And my useless little brother actually likes your company. Maybe you could stop him revising, I swear he does more than I ever did. Nobody cares about A-Levels once you’re at uni and he’s not going to miss his offer.

 

You know what I think about your father.

 

Why not come out?

 

From: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

To: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Answer your phone

 

Good.

 

I have a free weekend coming up, I might. Will try to get some summer leave & come and see you then too. Surely it’s my duty as your best friend to take you out and get you drunk to celebrate the end of three years of torture?

 

So does the whole of Merton. The porters are probably still telling stories about it.

 

 

***

 

_Press cutting composing part of James Lester’s daily briefing, 11/04/09._

 

**‘My husband is dead’, says multibillionaire’s wife**

**\- Kyle Akerman, 52-year-old multibillionaire, last seen two weeks ago**

**\- ‘Sea monsters’ sighted nearby by businessman’s daughter**

**\- US Coast Guard say that hopes are diminishing**

 

By: Daily Mail Reporter

 

The wife of missing billionaire Kyle Akerman says she believes her estranged husband is dead.

 

Kyle Akerman, whose personal wealth stretches into billions, sailed his yacht the _Esperanza_ out of the exclusive Monroe Country Yacht Club, Key West on the March 28. He has not been seen since and an extensive search by the United States Coast Guard has failed to find any trace of him. Unusually, the search has not been called off after two full weeks, but Martina Vazquez believes the search will fail.

 

“Kyle would have come back if he could have,” said Ms Vazquez, 39, speaking on the phone from her parents’ home in Buenos Aires. “Not for me, but for Lucia.”

 

Mr Akerman was very close to his daughter, Lucia, 12 ( _right_ ) and often took her sailing with him as a treat. However, though she was present in his home at the time of his disappearance, she did not accompany him on his latest trip. Ms Vazquez said that she would not be surprised if Mr Akerman had wanted some peace and quiet to think, and had made a mistake that led to his death.

 

“We argued very badly,” Ms Vazquez, a translator and heiress to the Vazquez vineyards, confessed. “He was very upset by some of the things we had said to each other. He might have been distracted. But you can’t afford to be distracted at sea!”

 

Ms Vazquez was unable to offer any explanation for the photos taken by her daughter on a school trip and sent to the New Scientist. The magazine has failed to identify them but suggested that they might be survivors of a prehistoric species. Ms Vazquez stated that even if they were sea monsters she did not think they had anything to do with her husband’s disappearance.

 

United States Coast Guard spokesman Lt Charles Petty said: “We cannot comment on the ongoing search for Mr Akerman, other than to state that we have no reason to believe he is dead. Hope is diminishing, but it is possible that Mr Akerman’s radio and navigational instruments are out of order, and weather conditions have been favourable. As for the sea monsters, we at the US Coast Guard have no reason to believe that American shores harbour anything more monstrous than the American shipping and naval fleet, plus assorted leisure craft.”

 

Lt Charles Petty declined to comment on the fact that Mr Akerman went missing in the notorious Bermuda Triangle, exclaiming: “Are you kidding me?”


	2. Chapter 2

From: [t.williams@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.williams@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Ichthyosaurs in the Gulf of Mexico

 

Dear James,

 

I know you said no-one was to make any further comment on the Akerman case, but I thought you should be made aware of some developments on the science side of things. I was contacted yesterday by an old friend from university, who is now a naturalised US citizen living and working in America. He was asking my opinion of the pictures and hinting that he himself was in Florida working on the problem. He also said he’d heard I was working with Nick Cutter, and asked me how Cutter was doing. I said we didn’t work closely together but Cutter was fine, suffered a major accident a few months ago but on the road to recovery.

 

His name, in case you were interested, is Terrence Graham. He’s married to Mae Whiteley – she’s a big name in palaeoclimatology. The grapevine says they’re no longer teaching actively at the university they work for but are doing some kind of government research. The department in question just got a large grant: it was in Nature last month. Is it possible that the Americans have their own ARC? If so I think I can name two of its scientists.

 

Best,

 

Tegan

 

_Dr. Tegan Williams_

_Researcher, Department of Palaeontology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _t.williams@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:t.williams@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.williams@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.williams@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Ichthyosaurs in the Gulf of Mexico

 

Dear Dr Williams,  
  
Thank you: this is useful information. I consider it more than probable that the Americans do have a similar outfit and that Dr. Graham and Professor Whiteley are working for it. I don’t need to ask you to keep that information to yourself. However, feel free to put Graham and Cutter in touch – if you haven’t already.

 

Please also feel free to discourage your protégé from attempting to take his annual leave now. I am well aware that Mr O’Murphy’s speciality is in water anomalies and his academic research has focussed on aquatic dinosaurs, and I don’t want to find myself negotiating with the Americans for his release from Guantánamo Bay. I know there is considerable interest among the palaeontologists in pursuing this lead – and would never be so crass as to attribute this interest to the delightful weather in Florida – but there are proper channels for this sort of thing, you know.

 

Best wishes,

 

James Lester

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Americans

 

Lester,

 

Old colleagues keep ringing me up and trying to gossip about what I’m doing now. This isn’t unusual, except they’re all American and none of them will tell me what they’re doing now. Apart from ‘the usual bullshit from the Beltway’. Is this related to that idiot with the boat in the Bermuda Triangle and your pissy email about staff trying to sneak off to Florida? I caught Temple and his mate with the boat fascination who works for Dr. Williams speculating about how they could raise the cash for flights. This wouldn’t worry me if Miss Maitland hadn’t been looking quite so interested.

 

Ryan

 

_Major T. Ryan_

_Head of Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _t.ryan@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Americans

 

Ryan,

 

Oh, Christ. We’re repelling boarders from all sides; all that remains is for Cutter to ring me from his sick-bed and say he’s been receiving a lot of distinguished American visitors wanting to talk about his job. I’m going to have a very stiff word with the Ambassador. You hardly need telling this, but say as little as possible to your friends until I know where we stand. And if you catch the younger generation building castles in the sky again, tread on them.

 

Bloody Yanks.

 

Lester

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Today’s exercise in Sisyphean manoeuvres

 

 

Please bring that call with the Minister as far forward as possible and ring Cutter for me. If he’s not answering his phone, please leave early this afternoon and drop by his house: it is essential that we know for certain he hasn’t told the Americans anything they ought not to know, possibly while he was in the process of telling them where to stick their polite enquiries or in the erroneous belief that he was chatting to former colleagues with no ulterior motives.

 

Please also convey my regrets to the Health and Safety meeting at 14.00. I know it’s the second time in a row but I will be preoccupied drafting a protocol for cross-border cooperation over anomalies. It was bad enough trying to make it up as we went along when we were only dealing with the French. Once is an unfortunate incident: twice is the beginning of a trend.

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Today’s exercise in Sisyphean manoeuvres

 

I have already spoken to the Minister’s PA and arranged a telephone call for 14.30. You will find the notes on our dealings with the French in your inbox: I forwarded them to you last night.

 

Do you want me to minute the phone call? Since the Health and Safety meeting was cancelled this morning as our office Health and Safety representative is unable to attend due to illness, I will be available.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Today’s exercise in Sisyphean manoeuvres

 

You deserve a pay rise.

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Today’s exercise in Sisyphean manoeuvres

 

I’ll hold you to that.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

***

 

_Record of James Lester’s phone call with the Minister responsible for the ARC, held on speakerphone, 14.30, 15/04/09. Notes taken by Lorraine Wickes._

 

JL: Minister, so glad you could spare the time. I trust you’re keeping well?

Min: All well here, thank you, James. Except for the Americans. I take it you’re calling about the Americans?

JL: I am. I had a reasonably enlightening meeting with the current Ambassador two weeks ago which established their interest in the ARC, and my staff are sending me reports of old American friends and colleagues resurfacing to ask questions about their current jobs.

Min: And this is all to do with…

JL: …with the Akerman case, yes. _[pause]_ The timing is strongly indicative of it.

Min: What’s your opinion on the case?

JL: From the creatures angle, the anomaly angle, or the Akerman angle?

Min: Start with the anomaly angle. I don’t know and I don’t care why Akerman matters so much to them.

JL: With all due respect, Minister, the two may be interrelated. They may have gone looking for Akerman as they would for any sailor lost at sea, and political pressure may have induced them to keep looking, but I suspect the only reason they’re keeping up an active search – or the appearance of one – three weeks later is because it makes a convenient screen for investigating anomaly activity.

Min: Hm. _[pause]_ What are his chances?

JL: Of survival? Minimal. If the anomaly has closed, almost non-existent. They don’t often re-open.

Min: Sad. _[pause]_ You were discussing the creatures and the anomalies.

JL: Yes. Our palaeontologists and biologists are very excited about the creatures. The existing photographic evidence is blurry, but clear enough to indicate that they aren’t a historic species. As for the anomalies, generalising from our existing experience, they are unlikely to have lasted as long as three weeks. But if they have done so, the Americans do have a problem on their hands.

Min: Intriguing. So why do you think the Americans are so interested in the ARC?

JL: His Excellency mentioned intelligence-sharing. I suspect there’s a… lack of expertise… on the Americans’ side. Anomalies may have gone unnoticed for longer there, or have been dealt with by several different agencies who didn’t share information, possibly because they thought they’d be accused of madness. Or they may not have dealt with a water-based anomaly before. Or they may simply be interested in another perspective on ways to handle anomalies. The latter is perhaps most likely.

Min: Hm.

JL: I think we are quickly reaching the point where we have to agree cooperation or refuse it entirely.

Min: I agree with you, but I don’t want to commit too many resources to this, do you know what I mean?

JL: Perhaps a small team would be… appropriate to the situation. We are currently reasonably well-staffed, and will be more so when Professor Cutter returns to work. We can spare two or three people in the name of transatlantic cooperation…

Min: …depending on what the Americans have for us in return.

JL: It’s always interesting to hear different perspectives on anomalies, don’t you agree, Minister?

Min: Harrumph. [ _rendered phonetically]_ Let’s see how this plays out. I haven’t heard from my American counterpart yet.

JL: A necessary preliminary.

Min: Yes. _[pause]_ Don’t make any promises until I’ve managed to contact him.

JL: Of course not, Minister.

Min: And don’t let that Cutter idiot go off half-cocked.

JL: I assure you, Minister, I have a firm hand on the reins.

Min: Pleased to hear it. Well. Good afternoon, Lester. Good luck with your madmen. _[pause]_ And women.

JL: Thank you, sir.

 

***

 

_Report of Lorraine Wickes’ visit to Nick Cutter’s home, 16.45, 15/04/09, given in an email to James Lester._

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Visit to N. Cutter

 

I called Professor Cutter and left a message on his answerphone at 11.15. When he failed to respond, I left the office early (as per instructions) and went to Professor Cutter’s home. After some emphatic knocking, Professor Cutter appeared. He seemed as well as can be expected, physically, and pleased to see me. He was more than happy to discuss work over a cup of coffee.

 

The state of his house and his explanation that he had been working on a paper all day and had taken the phone off the hook allayed my initial concerns. The untidiness of the former provided me with corroborating evidence for the latter, as Dr Hart assures me that Professor Cutter seldom, if ever, tidies anything when there are academic tasks he could be doing instead. Moreover, Dr Hart reminded me that failing to answer his phone is entirely characteristic of Professor Cutter and not, in itself, grounds for concern. Since Professor Cutter seemed in excellent spirits, I am minded to concur, and to suggest that in future this should not be considered a danger sign as it might be with other members of staff.

 

Professor Cutter was intrigued to hear about our American colleagues’ unusual activity, but disclaimed any knowledge of it. He said that he had several missed calls and a backlog of emails, one of which might include similar messages to those received by Major Ryan and Dr Williams. We went through these together and found that three emails and five missed calls from three separate individuals over a period of the last two days fit the profile established by the other contacts. Professor Cutter appeared extremely surprised, confirming that all three callers were American citizens he had worked with or known socially in the past and that he could think of no good reason for them to contact him. He said he had not spoken to one caller in particular since before Helen Cutter’s disappearance. I made a note of their names, numbers and email addresses and have filed them in the appropriate folder of the contacts database (entries #389, #390, and #391).

 

Professor Cutter said he had not noticed any strangers around his home, nor had anyone visited in the last week but the postman and some of his colleagues – Major Ryan, Dr Hart, Miss Maitland, Mr Temple, Dr Williams and Mr O’Murphy, all of whom came to see him for ‘work reasons’. He informed me, unprompted, that he would not be foolish enough to discuss the anomaly project with anyone unrelated to it, or even to admit to its existence. The remarks that followed, in which the words ‘police state’ and ‘oubliette’ featured heavily, were sufficient to persuade me that, while Professor Cutter’s physical recovery is incomplete, his sense of humour is fully recovered.

 

On a more serious note, Professor Cutter undertook to avoid visitors unknown to him, and  requested that I resend the standard briefing on personal security issued to all ARC personnel, as he did not feel confident of its location in his filing system. I have done so. I have also requested that Professor Cutter’s existing police protection take extra care as a precaution, though I do not believe he is in any physical danger.

 

Threat level remains AMBER.

 

L. Wickes, 15/04/09.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Visit to N. Cutter

 

Filing system? Piling system, surely?

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Visit to N. Cutter

 

I couldn’t possibly comment.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

 

From: [Lorraine­_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk](mailto:Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk)

To: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

Subject: I saw Cutter this afternoon

 

Dear Jenny,

 

I dropped in on Cutter today; Lester was concerned that he was spilling our secrets to the competition while under the influence of heavy-duty painkillers. This obviously wasn’t the case. Cutter was deep in scholarly works and ignoring the email and phone contact he’d received – and besides, he’s convinced he’s better and doesn’t need any painkillers at all. He still moves stiffly enough that I doubt that, though. Helen came very close to killing him, and that wasn’t as long ago as he likes to think.

 

Mentally, I think he is almost completely recovered – at least, as much as you ever can recover. He was telling jokes and laughing, which is an improvement on the New Year and immediately after his injury. The counselling has made a major difference. He now admits that it is not all New Age woo, and that you and Lester had a point.

 

Unfortunately, it’s not all good news - even qualified good news. Something he said to me made me think that he was lonely. He doesn’t lack for gossip; Connor, Abby and Stephen are regular visitors. He did say, however, that they had all visited ‘for work’, and sounded wistful and disappointed. I don’t think he understands how much he pushed people away after Helen, how much he chose to isolate himself. As you know, Niall ran much of his personal protection while he was in hospital, and while Niall actively prefers principals who don’t try to make small talk even he notices when they utter less than five sentences in an eight hour shift. I suspect that the rest of the team feel that the only safe way to try to connect with him is over work. I imagine you remember what happened when Connor tried to bring him movies to watch in hospital.

 

But you know all this. You’ve read the reports, and more importantly, you were there. What I don’t think anyone has noticed yet, much less taken in, is that he is talking now, and he wants to talk. He’s having trouble with that, though - partly because of his own self-isolation and his tunnel vision, he has no-one to talk to. Bluntly, he needs to get out more. I wouldn’t understand if I hadn’t been there myself, but I have been there and I do understand.

 

I know you’re worried that Cutter thinks you still have feelings for him. He as good as told me that he knows that isn’t true, although I couldn’t swear to his own feelings. He asked after you and Sarah as a unit, and seemed as interested in Sarah as in you. He asked a lot of questions about how her work was getting on, and how she was personally, and sent congratulations to both of you on snagging remarkable women. I could be wrong, but I think that you think he can’t see you as anything other than a romantic partner because of Claudia Brown. I’m almost certain that’s not the case. I think you were his friend too, as much as Stephen was/is. I think he misses both of you. For your sake and the sake of the office – and he is coming back to work soon, Jenny, he’s nearly fit for it – please, talk to him. At least a bit. He looks very sad for a cheerful man, and I know you find it uncomfortable, trying to navigate dealing with him on an everyday basis when you don’t know where you stand with him. I can see that much.

 

Lorraine

 

 

From: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

To: [Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk](mailto:Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk)

Subject: Re: I saw Cutter this afternoon

 

Dear Lorraine,

 

I’m not going to confirm or deny most of this. I know you didn’t expect me to. If you (and I know how much you dislike getting close to people, don’t deny it) can tell me what I’m thinking, I can tell you I know what you’re thinking too. We’ve obviously been working together much too closely for much too long. All I’ll say is that in many respects, you’ve hit the nail on the head. I won’t be held responsible for constantly sitting beside Nick’s hospital bed when he was ill and crying when he first woke up, and generally behaving like a distraught girl weeping over someone she’s lost her chance to love. It’s behaviour that closely resembles that of an overwrought woman whose close friend, someone she feels responsible for, could be dying. But I did think for a while there that I had given the wrong impression – of attaching myself to Nick when I was falling for Sarah. And I did think at about New Year that maybe his fit of tantrums had a lot to do with his realising that Sarah and I were an item. I may have been wrong. Hindsight is always 20/20. You and I know that better than most people.

 

Sarah has emailed Nick to ask him to dinner. You’re right, he does need to get out more.

 

And I hope you mean by saying that you’ve ‘been there and you understand’ that you are no longer there.

 

Jenny

 

From: [Lorraine­_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk](mailto:Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk)

To: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: I saw Cutter this afternoon

  
Dear Jenny,

 

I didn’t expect you to answer so fully. And I do not dislike getting close to people; I just find it tends to backfire. It’s a hole in my judgement that I’m working to fix.

 

I am no longer there, no. Thank Niall and my counsellor.

 

Lorraine


	3. Chapter 3

_Press cutting composing part of James Lester’s daily briefing, 17/04/2009._

 

17 April 2009

 

**Dramatic rise in shark attacks off Florida coast**

 

Surfers, swimmers and other beach users in the Florida area have been asked to take particular care after a spate of shark attacks claimed one life and maimed two others in the last four days. Popular beaches have been closed and lifeguards put on high alert.

 

MaryAnn Lawson, 17, a keen swimmer who escaped one of the attacks, described the shark responsible as ‘massive, and weird, like it wasn’t the right _shape_ – I thought it was a dolphin eating people!’ However, she also said that she had not seen it very clearly, as she had panicked and hurried out of the water.

 

Lifeguards said that the phenomenon resembled a shark migration, with exceptionally high numbers in the area, despite the fact that it is an unusual time of year. Scientists at Florida State University suggested that changes in ocean currents might have inspired the unusual behaviour.

 

The US Coast Guard have identified the animal responsible for the attacks and are hunting it. Until then, they have reminded beach users not to go into the water while injured, always to swim at beaches attended by lifeguards, and never to swim after dark or in cloudy water.

 

© BBC News, 2009.

 

***

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk), [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

CC: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk), [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman case response

 

Dear Miss Maitland and Captain Becker,

 

As a result of the Americans’ earnest requests for our assistance, the Minister and I have elected to put together a small team to assess the situation and provide expertise as necessary. You are the best candidates for the job; subject to your agreement airplane tickets and accommodation will be booked for your arrival on the 22nd. Medical coverage has been arranged for you under the scheme used by British diplomats and Forces personnel in America. Should you accept, Miss Wickes will contact you with the appropriate paperwork, which you will fill out as soon as possible.

 

The Americans have appointed a liaison officer, Captain Meher Anaadi, who you will work closely with – and, please, _not_ offend. Please also note that your role is not to provide military support unless in an emergency, and you are not to take weapons with you. If you require them for reasons of self-defence ask the Americans or use your initiative.

 

If at any time you believe that the Americans have a different idea of your role, that you have been put in danger you are not confident of your ability to handle, or if you are no longer comfortable with the American anomaly outfit, then please remove yourself from the situation and contact me, Jenny, or Miss Wickes immediately. Your safety is paramount and there are several excellent reasons for the strict parameters of your assignment.

 

Regards,

 

James Lester 

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

***

                                                     

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 04.30, 19/04/09_

 

U say ‘fucking nuisance’ I hear ‘all expenses paid trip 2 tropical climate’. Shut up and get on w/ ur packing.

 

***

_Text from Abby Maitland to Connor Temple, received 08.30, 19/04/09_

If you keep up the silent treatment I’m not giving you a lift home

_Text from Abby Maitland to Jenny Lewis, received 10.00, 19/04/09_

 

Can you send Connor to Barbados or something? He’s jealous + won’t talk to me

 

_Text from Abby Maitland to Ciarán O’Murphy, received 13.00, 19/04/09_

 

Can you tell Connor to stop being such a baby? Was he always this much of a pain?

 

_Text from Abby Maitland to Danny Quinn, received 14.00, 19/04/09_

 

If you call Connor my lover boy again I WILL HURT YOU

_Text from Abby Maitland to Hilary Becker, received 14.04, 19/04/09_

 

You know your archaeology friend who makes swords? Can I borrow one? Or will you shoot Quinn for me, instead?

 

_Text from Abby Maitland to Stephen Hart, received 15.50, 19/04/09_

 

HELP.

 

***

 

From: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

Kidding – Abby’s not in distress but if we don’t get her out of here everyone else will be. Have invited her to dinner, if that’s OK?

 

_Dr. Stephen Hart_

_Associate Researcher, Department of Palaeontology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _s.hart@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

To: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

I noticed. Temple’s making a right tit of himself. Becker had a point when he said the two of them were more like brother and sister than love interests. Becker makes a more convincing boyfriend than Temple does, and that’s saying something.

 

Was thinking takeaway. Indian?

 

_Major T. Ryan_

_Head of Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _t.ryan@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

I maintain Becker is gayer than a Pride parade.

 

Indian’s good.

 

_Dr. Stephen Hart_

_Associate Researcher, Department of Palaeontology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _s.hart@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

To: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

Have it your own way, Kinsey.

 

_Major T. Ryan_

_Head of Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _t.ryan@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

 

From: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

To: [moreofanr2d2@gmail.com](mailto:moreofanr2d2@gmail.com)

Subject: Really?

 

Stop it. This is getting ridiculous. No man your age should be indulging in forty-eight hour tantrums. You know you’re needed here far too badly for Lester to send you to Florida.

 

Stop sulking and FIX THE FUSES. I want my computer back.

 

_Sent from my iPhone_

 

From: [moreofanr2d2@gmail.com](mailto:moreofanr2d2@gmail.com)

To: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

Subject: Re: Really?

 

Oi, I stopped sulking yesterday and said sorry to Abs this morning! I AM trying to fix the fuses!!

 

***

 

_To-do list composed by Abby Maitland and tucked into the front pocket of her carry-on bag, 21/04/09. Covered in ticks, underlining, and amendments._

 

-tidy room

-clean sheets!

-cuddle Rex

-take car to garage

-where is passport?

-where does Becker live and does he want to get the Tube?

-pack: SUMMER CLOTHES also WORK CLOTHES and ANOMALY CLOTHES

-tell Jack to fuck off

-remind Stephen ~~he is the boss of Danny not the other way round~~ Lester knows Danny’s a terrible leader

-ask Ryan not to let Danny be a wanker while I’m gone

-dollars!

-say bye to Nick & Conn & Stephen & Tegan & Jenny & Ciarán

 

_To-do list composed by Abby Maitland and left on the kitchen table of her flat, 21/04/09. Neater than the other, but also labelled CONNOR in neon green block capitals._

-feed Rex

-feed Sid & Nancy

-feed Roxy, Jewel, Flicker & Olive (just because they’re not prehistoric doesn’t mean I don’t love them! Full instructions taped to inside of feed cabinet. If you get stuck ring Helena the vet, 07722435691)

-heating bill is paid, water & electricity due to arrive next week, cheque for my half is in your locker at work

-eat that pizza before it grows legs and walks away please

-fridge needs defrosting

-transfer load of laundry from washer to dryer

-you can have whatever friends you like round, I trust you, just don’t trash the place/let Danny into my room/same thing really

-remember to eat and sleep

-don’t let yourself get lonely, you get insecure when you get lonely

-but also don’t pick up hot girls (or boys) with evil plans and designs on your virtue at the video store, okay?

-HAVE FUN!

 

***

_Two flight tickets presented to the check-in desk at Heathrow, 21/04/09._

PASSENGER: Miss Abigail Maitland

FLIGHT: BA311

CLASS: Business

SEAT: 10A

DATE: 21.04.09

DESTINATION: Miami Airport (MIA), Florida, USA.

TERMINAL: 5

GATE: ---

BOARDING: 20.50

 

PASSENGER: Captain Hilary Becker

FLIGHT: BA311

CLASS: Business

SEAT: 10B

DATE: 21.04.09

DESTINATION: Miami Airport (MIA), Florida, USA.

TERMINAL: 5

GATE: ---

BOARDING: 20.50

 

***

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.00 GMT_

 

In America. Business class not half bad. Distinct improvement on cramped Hercules and Stringer’s elbow in my ribs every time I turn around.

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.05 EST_

 

Piss off.

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.07 EST_

 

Shan’t. Immigration v polite but too many stupid questions. Also don’t like being felt up by total strangers who then thank me for my service. WTF?

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.15 EST_

 

American customer service meant to be legendary?

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.25 EST_

 

The screener just asked Abby out. Less legendary more pervy.

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.26 EST_

 

Did u pretend to be her boyfriend + rescue her

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.27 EST_

 

u did didn’t u

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.29 EST_

 

this is hilarious I’m dying. Not 1 second on American soil and already mistaken 4 devoted boyfriend. Are u cursed with chivalry or something

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.25 EST_

 

SHUT UP

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.29 EST_

 

SHAN’T

 

***

 

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Arrived

 

Hi Jenny

 

I won’t send a proper progress report until we’ve actually seen the anomalies or evidence – real, hard evidence – that they were there. We’ve seen nothing yet and we landed yesterday morning. Captain Anaadi, the liaison officer (friendly but not very talkative) was muttering about settling in and credentials. Still, she said she’d bring some scientists and people from their anomaly team to meet us this morning. In the meantime, I thought you’d like to know we arrived safely after an uneventful flight, and maybe some of the more gossipy details.

 

The hotel’s nice, quite close to where the anomaly site/sites are meant to be, and we have a hire car so we can drive around as we like. Captain Anaadi gave us the appropriate forms when we met her. They were already half-filled out. We’ve also been provided with two ID cards each, one which is – maybe?? – a FBI badge, and the other seems to represent their anomaly organisation. Becker and me count as ‘Visiting Researchers’ to the ‘Temporal Phenomena Research Unit’. If I were them I wouldn’t go waving it around either, it sounds like one of Connor’s tinfoil hat-wearing mates playing at being ghostbusters. It does make sense to have an ID card that more people will respect to go with it. Maybe we should do something like it for the ARC? I don’t think the UK police would let us do it, though. And anyway which force would we say we were from?

 

Becker is fine. Actually, he’s much better company than I expected. He’s still shy but he’s funny and interesting when you get him talking. I asked him about his friend Morris, you remember, from the King Arthur thing in Cornwall, and he practically turned into a chatterbox. Apparently he spent Christmas with her and her family. I believe him when he says they aren’t dating but Ryan is right, Becker does have a family and they all have the surname Morris. You don’t drag teenage boys out of bed by their ankles if you aren’t at least their cousin.

 

Apart from that, he has a chivalrous streak which is either going to be a pain in the arse or great. I reckon it goes with the perfect manners. He lifted my luggage into and out of the overhead rack without me asking (I mean, I can lift my own carryon bags!) and rescued me from a screener that was hitting on me at the airport by looming over the guy and strongly implying he was my boyfriend. He was embarrassed when we got away, though. I don’t think he thought before acting, bless him. He’s a nice guy and a good colleague. I think I can work with him and not have to be getting him out of trouble all the time the way I do with Connor, which is good when I can’t count on the other people around me. Conn is a great guy and he’s a genius but he has no common sense.

 

Got to go. I see Captain Anaadi marching in our direction and she’s got people with her. Can you call off Lester? Nothing’s happened yet.

 

Abby

 

***

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman case

 

Connor,

 

Akerman went missing in the Bermuda Triangle. Have you got any research/thoughts on magnetism and the Triangle/whether anomalies could be responsible? Failing that can you translate these draft papers the physics people sent me? I have no idea what they’re on about.

 

Abby says hi, asks me to remind you to feed the menagerie. How many pets have you two got?!

 

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _h.becker@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [s.page@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.page@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman case

 

Dear Dr Page,

 

Would you mind sending me and Abby any information you’ve got on the Bermuda Triangle? It occurred to me that since Akerman disappeared in the Triangle, substantiated reports of disappearances could throw some light on what happened to Akerman. You might want to talk to Connor about this – I asked him for anything he knows about anomalies and the Triangle, though I thought you would be much better on the history/legends.

 

Thanks,

 

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _h.becker@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

_Text from Abby Maitland to Hilary Becker, received 21.00 EST, 23/04/09._

 

Notes from today’s expedition NOW please. Also you owe me a drink, hate writing reports.

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Abby Maitland, received 21.02 EST, 23/04/09._

 

Emailed you 5 minutes ago. What sort of a drink? Heading to bar.

_Text from Abby Maitland to Hilary Becker, received 21.03 EST, 23/04/09._

 

Mojito

 


	4. Chapter 4

_Press cutting composing part of James Lester’s daily briefing, 17/04/2009._

 

17 April 2009

 

**Dramatic rise in shark attacks off Florida coast**

 

Surfers, swimmers and other beach users in the Florida area have been asked to take particular care after a spate of shark attacks claimed one life and maimed two others in the last four days. Popular beaches have been closed and lifeguards put on high alert.

 

MaryAnn Lawson, 17, a keen swimmer who escaped one of the attacks, described the shark responsible as ‘massive, and weird, like it wasn’t the right _shape_ – I thought it was a dolphin eating people!’ However, she also said that she had not seen it very clearly, as she had panicked and hurried out of the water.

 

Lifeguards said that the phenomenon resembled a shark migration, with exceptionally high numbers in the area, despite the fact that it is an unusual time of year. Scientists at Florida State University suggested that changes in ocean currents might have inspired the unusual behaviour.

 

The US Coast Guard have identified the animal responsible for the attacks and are hunting it. Until then, they have reminded beach users not to go into the water while injured, always to swim at beaches attended by lifeguards, and never to swim after dark or in cloudy water.

 

© BBC News, 2009.

 

***

 

From: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk), [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

CC: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk), [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman case response

 

Dear Miss Maitland and Captain Becker,

 

As a result of the Americans’ earnest requests for our assistance, the Minister and I have elected to put together a small team to assess the situation and provide expertise as necessary. You are the best candidates for the job; subject to your agreement airplane tickets and accommodation will be booked for your arrival on the 22nd. Medical coverage has been arranged for you under the scheme used by British diplomats and Forces personnel in America. Should you accept, Miss Wickes will contact you with the appropriate paperwork, which you will fill out as soon as possible.

 

The Americans have appointed a liaison officer, Captain Meher Anaadi, who you will work closely with – and, please, _not_ offend. Please also note that your role is not to provide military support unless in an emergency, and you are not to take weapons with you. If you require them for reasons of self-defence ask the Americans or use your initiative.

 

If at any time you believe that the Americans have a different idea of your role, that you have been put in danger you are not confident of your ability to handle, or if you are no longer comfortable with the American anomaly outfit, then please remove yourself from the situation and contact me, Jenny, or Miss Wickes immediately. Your safety is paramount and there are several excellent reasons for the strict parameters of your assignment.

 

Regards,

 

James Lester 

 

_James Lester_

_Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _j.lester@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

***

                                                     

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 04.30, 19/04/09_

 

U say ‘fucking nuisance’ I hear ‘all expenses paid trip 2 tropical climate’. Shut up and get on w/ ur packing.

 

***

_Text from Abby Maitland to Connor Temple, received 08.30, 19/04/09_

If you keep up the silent treatment I’m not giving you a lift home

_Text from Abby Maitland to Jenny Lewis, received 10.00, 19/04/09_

 

Can you send Connor to Barbados or something? He’s jealous + won’t talk to me

 

_Text from Abby Maitland to Ciarán O’Murphy, received 13.00, 19/04/09_

 

Can you tell Connor to stop being such a baby? Was he always this much of a pain?

 

_Text from Abby Maitland to Danny Quinn, received 14.00, 19/04/09_

 

If you call Connor my lover boy again I WILL HURT YOU

_Text from Abby Maitland to Hilary Becker, received 14.04, 19/04/09_

 

You know your archaeology friend who makes swords? Can I borrow one? Or will you shoot Quinn for me, instead?

 

_Text from Abby Maitland to Stephen Hart, received 15.50, 19/04/09_

 

HELP.

 

***

 

From: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

Kidding – Abby’s not in distress but if we don’t get her out of here everyone else will be. Have invited her to dinner, if that’s OK?

 

_Dr. Stephen Hart_

_Associate Researcher, Department of Palaeontology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _s.hart@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

To: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

I noticed. Temple’s making a right tit of himself. Becker had a point when he said the two of them were more like brother and sister than love interests. Becker makes a more convincing boyfriend than Temple does, and that’s saying something.

 

Was thinking takeaway. Indian?

 

_Major T. Ryan_

_Head of Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _t.ryan@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

I maintain Becker is gayer than a Pride parade.

 

Indian’s good.

 

_Dr. Stephen Hart_

_Associate Researcher, Department of Palaeontology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _s.hart@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

To: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Operation Damsel In Distress

 

Have it your own way, Kinsey.

 

_Major T. Ryan_

_Head of Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _t.ryan@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

 

From: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

To: [moreofanr2d2@gmail.com](mailto:moreofanr2d2@gmail.com)

Subject: Really?

 

Stop it. This is getting ridiculous. No man your age should be indulging in forty-eight hour tantrums. You know you’re needed here far too badly for Lester to send you to Florida.

 

Stop sulking and FIX THE FUSES. I want my computer back.

 

_Sent from my iPhone_

 

From: [moreofanr2d2@gmail.com](mailto:moreofanr2d2@gmail.com)

To: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

Subject: Re: Really?

 

Oi, I stopped sulking yesterday and said sorry to Abs this morning! I AM trying to fix the fuses!!

 

***

 

_To-do list composed by Abby Maitland and tucked into the front pocket of her carry-on bag, 21/04/09. Covered in ticks, underlining, and amendments._

 

-tidy room

-clean sheets!

-cuddle Rex

-take car to garage

-where is passport?

-where does Becker live and does he want to get the Tube?

-pack: SUMMER CLOTHES also WORK CLOTHES and ANOMALY CLOTHES

-tell Jack to fuck off

-remind Stephen ~~he is the boss of Danny not the other way round~~ Lester knows Danny’s a terrible leader

-ask Ryan not to let Danny be a wanker while I’m gone

-dollars!

-say bye to Nick & Conn & Stephen & Tegan & Jenny & Ciarán

 

_To-do list composed by Abby Maitland and left on the kitchen table of her flat, 21/04/09. Neater than the other, but also labelled CONNOR in neon green block capitals._

-feed Rex

-feed Sid & Nancy

-feed Roxy, Jewel, Flicker & Olive (just because they’re not prehistoric doesn’t mean I don’t love them! Full instructions taped to inside of feed cabinet. If you get stuck ring Helena the vet, 07722435691)

-heating bill is paid, water & electricity due to arrive next week, cheque for my half is in your locker at work

-eat that pizza before it grows legs and walks away please

-fridge needs defrosting

-transfer load of laundry from washer to dryer

-you can have whatever friends you like round, I trust you, just don’t trash the place/let Danny into my room/same thing really

-remember to eat and sleep

-don’t let yourself get lonely, you get insecure when you get lonely

-but also don’t pick up hot girls (or boys) with evil plans and designs on your virtue at the video store, okay?

-HAVE FUN!

 

***

_Two flight tickets presented to the check-in desk at Heathrow, 21/04/09._

PASSENGER: Miss Abigail Maitland

FLIGHT: BA311

CLASS: Business

SEAT: 10A

DATE: 21.04.09

DESTINATION: Miami Airport (MIA), Florida, USA.

TERMINAL: 5

GATE: ---

BOARDING: 20.50

 

PASSENGER: Captain Hilary Becker

FLIGHT: BA311

CLASS: Business

SEAT: 10B

DATE: 21.04.09

DESTINATION: Miami Airport (MIA), Florida, USA.

TERMINAL: 5

GATE: ---

BOARDING: 20.50

 

***

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.00 GMT_

 

In America. Business class not half bad. Distinct improvement on cramped Hercules and Stringer’s elbow in my ribs every time I turn around.

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.05 EST_

 

Piss off.

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.07 EST_

 

Shan’t. Immigration v polite but too many stupid questions. Also don’t like being felt up by total strangers who then thank me for my service. WTF?

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.15 EST_

 

American customer service meant to be legendary?

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.25 EST_

 

The screener just asked Abby out. Less legendary more pervy.

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.26 EST_

 

Did u pretend to be her boyfriend + rescue her

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.27 EST_

 

u did didn’t u

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.29 EST_

 

this is hilarious I’m dying. Not 1 second on American soil and already mistaken 4 devoted boyfriend. Are u cursed with chivalry or something

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 22/04/09, 12.25 EST_

 

SHUT UP

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 22/04/09, 08.29 EST_

 

SHAN’T

 

***

 

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Arrived

 

Hi Jenny

 

I won’t send a proper progress report until we’ve actually seen the anomalies or evidence – real, hard evidence – that they were there. We’ve seen nothing yet and we landed yesterday morning. Captain Anaadi, the liaison officer (friendly but not very talkative) was muttering about settling in and credentials. Still, she said she’d bring some scientists and people from their anomaly team to meet us this morning. In the meantime, I thought you’d like to know we arrived safely after an uneventful flight, and maybe some of the more gossipy details.

 

The hotel’s nice, quite close to where the anomaly site/sites are meant to be, and we have a hire car so we can drive around as we like. Captain Anaadi gave us the appropriate forms when we met her. They were already half-filled out. We’ve also been provided with two ID cards each, one which is – maybe?? – a FBI badge, and the other seems to represent their anomaly organisation. Becker and me count as ‘Visiting Researchers’ to the ‘Temporal Phenomena Research Unit’. If I were them I wouldn’t go waving it around either, it sounds like one of Connor’s tinfoil hat-wearing mates playing at being ghostbusters. It does make sense to have an ID card that more people will respect to go with it. Maybe we should do something like it for the ARC? I don’t think the UK police would let us do it, though. And anyway which force would we say we were from?

 

Becker is fine. Actually, he’s much better company than I expected. He’s still shy but he’s funny and interesting when you get him talking. I asked him about his friend Morris, you remember, from the King Arthur thing in Cornwall, and he practically turned into a chatterbox. Apparently he spent Christmas with her and her family. I believe him when he says they aren’t dating but Ryan is right, Becker does have a family and they all have the surname Morris. You don’t drag teenage boys out of bed by their ankles if you aren’t at least their cousin.

 

Apart from that, he has a chivalrous streak which is either going to be a pain in the arse or great. I reckon it goes with the perfect manners. He lifted my luggage into and out of the overhead rack without me asking (I mean, I can lift my own carryon bags!) and rescued me from a screener that was hitting on me at the airport by looming over the guy and strongly implying he was my boyfriend. He was embarrassed when we got away, though. I don’t think he thought before acting, bless him. He’s a nice guy and a good colleague. I think I can work with him and not have to be getting him out of trouble all the time the way I do with Connor, which is good when I can’t count on the other people around me. Conn is a great guy and he’s a genius but he has no common sense.

 

Got to go. I see Captain Anaadi marching in our direction and she’s got people with her. Can you call off Lester? Nothing’s happened yet.

 

Abby

 

***

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman case

 

Connor,

 

Akerman went missing in the Bermuda Triangle. Have you got any research/thoughts on magnetism and the Triangle/whether anomalies could be responsible? Failing that can you translate these draft papers the physics people sent me? I have no idea what they’re on about.

 

Abby says hi, asks me to remind you to feed the menagerie. How many pets have you two got?!

 

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _h.becker@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [s.page@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.page@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman case

 

Dear Dr Page,

 

Would you mind sending me and Abby any information you’ve got on the Bermuda Triangle? It occurred to me that since Akerman disappeared in the Triangle, substantiated reports of disappearances could throw some light on what happened to Akerman. You might want to talk to Connor about this – I asked him for anything he knows about anomalies and the Triangle, though I thought you would be much better on the history/legends.

 

Thanks,

 

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _h.becker@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

_Text from Abby Maitland to Hilary Becker, received 21.00 EST, 23/04/09._

 

Notes from today’s expedition NOW please. Also you owe me a drink, hate writing reports.

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Abby Maitland, received 21.02 EST, 23/04/09._

 

Emailed you 5 minutes ago. What sort of a drink? Heading to bar.

_Text from Abby Maitland to Hilary Becker, received 21.03 EST, 23/04/09._

 

Mojito

 


	5. Chapter 5

_Police interview with John Claud Reveille II, Kyle Akerman’s business partner._

 

Interviewer: Mr Reveille, thank you for joining us.

John Claud Reveille II: No problem, officer. Of course, anything I can do for Kyle – not just for his sake, but Martina and the little girl…

I: I understood Ms Vazquez and Mr Akerman were divorcing.

JCR II: Martina and Kyle had their differences, but I always hoped, and Lucia always hoped, that they could come to terms with each other.

I: You’re a friend of Martina’s?

JCR II: Uh – no, not as such, not in recent years, no. _[pause]_ I think she, uh. She came to resent how much time Kyle spent on his work, and I – she, she took me as kind of a symbol of that. We used to get along very well. I introduced her to Kyle, years back. I’m Lucia’s godfather…

I: Aw, that’s nice. Lucia did have some very cute things to say about you to some of our officers. Smart, isn’t she?

JCR II: Oh? Oh yeah. Bright as button.

I: She said you bought her subscriptions to the New Scientist and National Geographic for her last birthday. Very educational. Now Martina must’ve liked that.

JCR II: Oh yeah, she was thrilled.

I: It didn’t make her think better of you, then?

JCR II: That was before she got really mad at me.

I: Is that so?

JCR II: That’s so.

I: So she got a down on you sometime within the last six months.

JCR II: That’s right, I think.

I: Would that coincide more or less with the shares you and Mr Akerman bought in BP?

JCR II: I – uh, yeah, I guess that would be about right.

I: Quite a lot of money, huh.

JCR II: Well yes, but, you know, a really solid investment.

I: Along with the money you put into Connections - a social networking site, right?

JCR II: That, that’s right. We invested in that as well. A bit more of a risk, but you know, they’ve got a great business plan and I really think it has potential.

I: And of course the donations to political campagins. $500,000 to the Governor and his main rival. Who’s an Independent running with support from the Tea Party. Oh, sorry, that was $500,000 each. That’s a lot of money, Mr Reveille. I don’t mind telling you that’s about ten times my salary.

JCR II: Then you’re not being paid enough, son. I had nothing to do with Kyle’s political donations.

I: Maybe I’m not, Mr Reveille. So none of these donations would have had anything to do with you? And none of the money would have come out of Ms Vazquez’ personal account?

JCR II: I…

I: If so, then several campaign staff, a teller or three, and Martina Vazquez have all been telling whoppers under oath. I feel like that’s something my colleagues ought to know.

JCR II: Look, I didn’t ask Kyle where he got the money. He had this gift for just finding it.

I: Nice gift if you can get it. And the donations?

JCR II: I may have asked a question or two about donation on his behalf, but that was all, I swear.

I: What was in it for you?

JCR II: We’re old pals! I did him a favour! And anyway, he’s my business partner. He benefits, I benefit.

I: And you were doing a lot of benefiting just then. And you were benefiting even more recently, I understand…

JCR II: You mean the Alaska deal.

I: That. Going well, was it? I guess it’s stalled now.

JCR II: Oh no. I was handling it before, so when Kyle up and vanished, I just kept handling it. It’s a beauty.

I: Backed by Akerman’s money.

JCR II: Yeah, because he’s rolling in it.

I: But you were running the deal.

JCR II: Yeah. Well, we worked it together.

I: And you got a fat cut of the profits.

JCR II: I pay myself a decent salary…

I: Which gets more decent with Akerman out of the picture.

JCR II: Well, I do get his share as well, but I was going to put it in trust for Lucia. And he might not be dead, anyway. You shouldn’t act like he’s dead so much.

I: Funny he should disappear when you stood to benefit even more. _[pause]_ Especially since you were advising him to take a holiday. What was it… something like: “Get out of town, Kyle. You need a vacation from all this. Martina’s taking it out of you.” Isn’t that right, Mr Reveille?

JCR II: Now wait a minute –

I: Is it or isn’t it, Mr Reveille?

JCR II: I want my lawyer! I want my lawyer in here NOW -

_Transcript ends._

 

***

 _Police interview with Martina Vazquez_.

 

Interviewer: Ms Vazquez.

Martina Vazquez: Hello.

I: Please take a seat. I just have a few questions for you.

MV: Of course.

I: You were married to Kyle Akerman, yes?

MV: Yes. For fifteen years. The decree absolute has not yet been issued but I haven’t considered myself his wife for the last two years.

I: A difficult divorce?

MV: Custody issues _. [pause]_ Of both our money and our daughter.

I: Lucia?

MV: That’s right.

I: Who was staying with her father when he disappeared.

MV: We were both supposed to, but I took a hotel. Kyle and I had argued and I did not want to be in the house with him, but it was late, I did not want to disturb Lucia. I knew she was quite safe with him.

I: She’s a very smart kid, isn’t she? She was showing some of the officers the New Scientist printed her letter. She was nice enough to lend Officer Casey a copy of National Geographic with dolphins in for her little boy, too. Lovely girl, ma’am. I congratulate you.

MV: _[proudly]_ She is my daughter. Though I always preferred the languages.

I: Of course. When did you know Mr Akerman had gone missing?

MV: Lucia called me to say he had gone sailing before she woke up, telling her he would be back in a few hours. He left a note, you understand. But it was already nine o’clock and he had not come back or called her. She was scared. I went to her at once, of course, and when he was not back at midday I called Miss Reynard at the marina, and then the police.

I: Did you think he was lost at sea?

MV: I did not know. I like boats but I cannot sail them. I thought simply he had been gone too long.

I: That was level-headed of you, ma’am.

MV: I do not care about Kyle any more and he does not care about me. But Lucia is important to him. He would not have said to her I will be back soon and then failed to return.

I: Can you tell me about the argument you had with him, the night before he went missing?

MV: Certainly. He wanted to know why I was insisting on having all the papers and wording checked over and over again. I told him I did not trust him. He became very angry and used bad language. By this time we were speaking in German because Lucia does not understand it well, unless it is spoken slowly. He said this was a matter of business and he would ‘play fair’. I said to him that he never plays fair in business, which is true. I reminded him about my money which he stole for bribes.

I: You mean the political donations he made using money from your account?  
MV: Political donations, ha! I suppose that is what they look like. But they were bribes against the future, in case. Kyle liked greasing the wheels of life.

I: In case what?

MV: I do not know. I have always had my own business to attend to and he was careful not to let me see anything that would put him in prison. At first I did not know, I saw only the handsome public face. And then I did not want to know, because of Lucia. But I could not ignore all his lies forever, and then finally he stopped treating me like his wife and started treating me like his credit card.

I: Do you think your ex-husband’s disappearance had anything to do with Reveille?

MV: It could have been but I do not think so. John is sometimes an idiot but he is always loyal and he knows how to keep his mouth shut.

I: If you had to describe Mr Akerman’s character to us, how would you do it?

MV: _[pause]_ He cares very deeply about a very few people, and the rest of the world can go to hell. _[a long pause]_ He is also very charming and intelligent.

I: Thank you for that, Ms Vazquez. Had you noticed any changes in him recently?

MV: Not in his character. But he was excited about something new, something to do with science and the Bermuda Triangle. Of course I laughed at him, but he might have told Lucia, or there might be something in his study. He did sail in that direction, I think.

I: Thank you, Ms Vazquez, that’s very interesting. Do you think Mr Akerman is still alive?

MV: Surely he has been gone too long. Why, do you think he could be?

I: We are endeavouring to find out, ma’am.

MV: Because Lucia would like to know. She is very upset.

I: As soon as we can say definitely one way or the other we will let you know.  
MV: Thank you.

 

_Transcript ends._

 

***

  

_Police interview with Lucia Akerman._

 

Interviewer: Hello, miss. Have a seat.

Lucia Akerman: Thank you.

I: Now, I just need you to answer a few questions for me, Lucia. Can I call you Lucia? My name’s Chad, you can call me Chad if you like.

LA: _[pause]_ Chad. Do you know where my dad is? Mom says you don’t.

I: At the minute, your mom is right. We’re looking very hard for him, though.

LA: Good.

I: Now, can you tell me everything that happened from the afternoon before your dad went away to when your mom came back to join you?  
LA: Sure. It was fine all day until, like, six o’clock? Dad took us whale-watching in _Esperanza_. I like whales.

I: Whales are cool. What happened at six o’clock?

LA: We just had dinner and I was supposed to go and have a bath and then watch cartoons before bed. But I could hear they were getting mad, so I didn’t go watch cartoons, I went and read in the sitting room instead. Except I couldn’t focus because they were shouting in German and it sounded bad.

I: Do you speak German?  
LA: No, but I know what ‘Kinder’ means.

I: I get it. What happened then?  
LA: Mom stormed out and I sneaked up the back stairs and watched television.

I: Anything good on TV?   
LA: Mm… nah.

I: What happened then?

LA: Dad came to say goodnight about nine and told me to go to bed. I asked where Mom was and he said she went to a hotel for the night. He said “You know I love you, right, _linda_?” ‘Linda’ means ‘beautiful’. Or like ‘cool’ or whatever but when you’re saying it to someone you like it means ‘beautiful’.  And I said yeah I did, and then he said good night and I went to bed, but I didn’t sleep for ages, I read instead. So I could hear Dad bumping around all night and talking to someone on the phone.   I think it was Uncle John because he said “I can’t go now, John, what about Lucia?” And when I woke up in the morning he left me two notes.

I: Two?

LA: One was in the kitchen. It said he’d just gone sailing and he’d come back soon, but if he was delayed I should go look in the top left drawer of his desk. He told me it was a secret and I shouldn’t tell Mom.

I: Did you tell your mom?

LA: No, ’cause I went and looked in the drawer and the second note was just an envelope with my name on it, Lucia Vazquez Akerman, and an address for a bank and a deposit box number. I thought it was probably pretty harmless so I didn’t say anything. He likes leaving me puzzles and treasure hunts and things, it wasn’t weird of him or anything.

I: You mean it wasn’t out of character?

LA: Yeah, that.

I: What was in the deposit box?

LA: I don’t know. I got Joséfina to drive me to the bank and I asked for the deposit box but they said there was a safety code. And I didn’t know what it was. I think maybe that’s the puzzle, the safety code.

I: Have you still got the note?

LA: Yeah, it’s locked in my diary.

I: Can you give it to Officer Casey next time she’s on duty at your house?

LA: Yeah, sure.

I: Great. Thanks. Do you have any idea what the safety code could be?

LA: No, but I have to know or he wouldn’t have put the code in? It’s probably not, like, numbers or anything. I tried my birthday and his birthday and Mom’s birthday and our address and stuff and it wasn’t that.

I: Well, we could probably make the bank give us what’s in that box for you, but it would be hard. Do you think you can work out the code?

LA: I can try.

I: It would be great if you could do that.

LA: I’ll try. If I can’t I’ll tell you.

I: You do that. Thanks Lucia, it’s been great talking to you. Get in touch if you work out the code or think of anything you think we should know. Officer Casey will show you the way out.

 

_Transcript ends._

 

***

 

_A selection of books and papers retrieved from Kyle Akerman’s study._

 

Truth or Dare: The Bermuda Triangle, by S. Ellison

A Preliminary Investigation of Magnetic Currents in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, by T. Black, J. A. Wilson and M. Raúl

American Sea Trade in the 19th and 20th Centuries, by H. Wei

The Bermuda Triangle, by C. Berlitz

Missing, Presumed Dead: The Victims of the Bermuda Triangle, by Z. I. Langdale

A Polarised Planet, The Role of Magnetism in the World Around Us, by E. W. Young

Hypotheses for the Rise in Ball Lightning Cases in the United Kingdom, by U. March, K. L. Dromgoole, G. Hardwick and T. Peary

 

 _including several embargoed scientific papers and the galley proofs for a conspiracy theory book on anomalies, confiscated immediately by the TPRU. It is not known how Akerman obtained these volumes_.


	6. Chapter 6

From: [c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

To: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Akerman case

 

Hi Becker

 

Read the papers and stuff you sent me. This Akerman guy knew a lot that he shouldn’t have done and most of it’s right. I had to tell Annie (head of physics, pretty awesome) and Anna Cheong, who double-checked it all for me, and then we all had to go to Lester and tell him. It’s a massive leak apparently. Lester had a FIT and Miss Wickes had to stop him ringing up the Americans and shouting about incompetency, and the correct use of draconic information control legislation, or whatever. Akerman was obviously a really nasty piece of work. I don’t actually want to know where he got his information or how.

 

None of it actually changes what I said before though. The Earth’s magnetic field does affect sea currents and probably does have something to do with the anomalies but without actual data from the site and a better idea of the context I can’t tell you what. Can you get me and the physicist you mentioned in touch? Annie’d also like to talk to him.

 

Please say hi to Abby for me. Also tell her Jewel went off his food and Helena came round and had a look while she was in town but she said it was probably nothing and he’d go back to normal soon. He has, it’s totally fine.

 

Conn

 

 

From: [s.page@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.page@arc.gov.uk)

To: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Akerman case

 

Hello Becker –

 

Sorry this took so long: I had to hunt down a few obscure sources and run some statistics analysis.  Essentially, the Bermuda Triangle has a longer history than a quick internet search will tell you, but much of the more recent data is spurious. Eyewitness accounts and shipping logs suggest that, approximately 50 years or so, there’s a spike in the number of unusual phenomena that occur in the area that coincides with a spike in the number of disappearances. The area is prone to tropical storms, so in days when we knew less about ship-building than we do now and planes were less reliable it’s not surprising that some came to grief. This is probably true of the majority of cases recorded in the late 1940s-early 1950s, when the legend of the Triangle really gained currency – for example there’s no reason to believe that the USS Cyclops didn’t sink because she was overloaded with heavy metal ore, and the Ellen Austin’s derelict couldn’t have gone through an anomaly because the crew would have noticed and recorded something that indicates it. The missing Douglas DC-3 is a much more likely case, to my mind; are some of the anomalies in the air rather than on/in the water?

 

I have found, however, that the number of disappearances exceeds statistical probability for a period of time every 50 years. I’d need more time to collect data than I’ve had to pin down the exact time period, but I don’t think it’s that long.

 

In terms of the eyewitness accounts, I attach images and transcripts some of the most suggestive, especially Christopher Columbus’s. Worth a read if you have the time. If not, the relevant passage from CC is:

 

_… this nighte and for two nightes past we have a lighte far awaie… it shone on the* waters & made the men believe Strange Powers were afoot… I myself confess misgivings. Had the priest say i Mass on the deck per diem, seemed to comfort them greatly…_

 

Brief but intriguing, particularly considering a later reference to, and detailed description of, something that sounds very much like the ichthyosaurs that have been popping up and exciting the biologists. They assumed it was just an odd fish from waters unfamiliar to them and didn’t make much of it apart from commenting that it tasted nasty. Damn the man, why couldn’t he have drawn a picture?!

 

There is, of course, no data earlier than the late 1400s, but I would be interested to investigate local indigenous myths. Something might well turn up although I doubt I could pin it down to dates. As you know I’m still working on the analysis of the leftover deceased from last December’s King Arthur adventure (I have a potential identity! It’s looking VERY promising) and Cutter’s demented map of time, plus Lester is making loud noises about the ongoing, still unfinished, project of correlating specifically British mythical creatures named in medieval and Dark Ages chronicles with prehistoric creatures. I keep telling him I’ll make no significant progress until Connor’s got his technicians trained up and can concentrate on innovating rather than patching things up, because I’m no creature expert and Cutter’s a little too stolid for the job, much though he tries – but that’s the price to pay for unique expertise. STILL. I am sure I could find some time to work on this for you if you need it, it sounds far too interesting to let go! (I need a minion to delegate to. Do you think Lester would let me inveigle a grad student into working for me?)

 

Hope this is useful,

  
Sarah

 

*reads as ‘ye’ in the transcript which I didn’t make: I don’t believe in substituting a y for a thorn, they’re not the same letter, and CC or whoever he got to write a fair copy of his log was definitely writing a thorn.

 

***

 

From: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Checking in

 

Abby,

 

Are you all right? Becker still bearable at close quarters? Are the Americans reasonable colleagues? Sarah says you’ve got some ideas about what might have been going on with Akerman.

 

Jenny

 

_Jenny Lewis_

_Head of PR_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Checking in

 

Jenny

  
To be honest with you, I feel a bit pointless. I know Lester sent me because you and Connor are needed, Stephen gets tongue-tied at the most awkward moments, and Cutter’s not well enough, but my speciality basically isn’t used here. I know about creatures. They have enough creature experts – at least, all the creature experts they want – and they don’t care about the practical advice I can offer, about dealing with creatures in the field. They just shoot them. Their vet is useful to talk to and he’s interested, but that’s about it. I don’t know anything about Physics beyond GCSE and all I can tell from the evidence we’ve been given is that yes, Akerman probably DID go through an anomaly, and is almost certainly dead. He was obsessed with anomalies and had a bright daughter called Lucia, who is now poking around. He was also in a ton of trouble – or about to be. His ex-wife hates his guts and he’s a criminal. Knowing that what am I supposed to do? Sit around shouting at people who don’t care about the expertise I have to offer because it’s not the way they do things? They’re already out killing off the ichthyosaurs and I can’t stop them. Honestly I don’t know how we would have fixed the icthyosaurs in their place. Non-lethal weaponry? Shark nets? A trail of chum? Or would we just have ended up killing them, like that future shark? And what else is there for me to do - solve a mystery that’s already solved? It’s not like we can fix the anomalies for them. Lester should have sent Sarah - Sarah could work out how long this is likely to last and how long it’s been going on for them. That would be useful.

 

Useful like what Becker’s doing. It’s clearly taking it out of him and I don’t know why: if I knew his friend Morris I’d ask her because he’s always texting her. But whatever’s bothering him, he always goes to talk to Anaadi, to the other soldiers, to get bits and pieces of information out of them. He comes back and takes notes on what he’s learnt and hides in his room for hours looking like grim death. I don’t know why. I hope he thinks it’s worth it. We have a ‘don’t split up’ rule that we usually apply very carefully, but Anaadi and me have nothing much to talk about and if I hang around in the soldiers’ rec room it completely changes the tone of conversation so Becker doesn’t get much useful out of them. I wish I knew what he was doing that bothers him so much.

 

He’s polite and friendly and easy to work with, but you knew that.

 

Got an email from Cutter yesterday. It was an apology for being a grumpy old sod. What have you done with him?

 

Abby

 

_Abby Maitland_

_Head of Creature Research and Care Department_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Checking in

 

Abby,

 

God, I’m sorry. Please know that you are the best candidate to handle this, even if they’re not listening to you right now. You have the necessary experience in handling an anomaly site to explain our best practice to them – you and Stephen are the best equipped to do that whatever Cutter and Quinn think. Cutter’s chief concern is always the science and Quinn is too flamboyant to be truly pragmatic or discreet, whereas you and Stephen are both far less ego-driven and far more practical, and you both think of all the aspects of an anomaly: creatures, humans, solutions, problems, impact and containment. Stephen’s far too shy to handle this, so you’re the best option. Yours was the first and only name we brought up for the civilian member of the team.

 

All you need to do is tell the Americans what you think, get as much data/information/whatever about their best practice and then get out. It’s only another week. I know you can do it. Bitch at Becker and make him buy you drinks on Lester’s tab, I can see him going along with that and it’ll make you feel better. You might even get a sympathetic hug out of the deal. He looks like he gives great hugs.

 

As a bonus, it’ll get him out of his room so you can stop worrying about him on top of anything else – and yes, Connor is fine and hasn’t set anything on fire, but he and Ciarán O’Murphy and some of the technicians have taken to spending hours in the pub putting the Star Wars Extended Universe (?) to rights. Further to the Becker problem, though, Sarah’s doing a little bit of digging on the side (you know she likes her multiple projects; it’s like watching a very well-intentioned, talented apprentice juggler at work, balls everywhere but never quite dropped). A friend of a friend has given her Morris’s email address. With a little luck, we might be able to attack the problem from both sides.

 

I don’t know what I’ve done to Cutter, but I’m sure Lorraine is ultimately responsible. She’s on a quest to get him out of the house and interacting with other human beings. Sarah and I had a very pleasant supper with him the other day: he was exerting himself to charm.

 

Nil illegitimi carborundum est,

 

Jenny

 

_Jenny Lewis_

_Head of PR_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Checking in

 

Jenny

 

Thanks. I appreciate it. I might take you up on that advice. I mean, the hotel bar wouldn’t be clever of us, but the rooms have well-stocked minibars.

 

About Cutter, wonders will never cease.

 

Abby

 

_Abby Maitland_

_Head of Creature Research and Care Department_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

_Voicemail received by Lorraine Wickes, 00.22 GMT, 28/04/09. Chiefly spoken by Abby Maitland, with unclear interjections from Hilary Becker._

 

Hi, Lorraine? Lorraine, it’s Abby. Um, something’s gone really – really, really wrong. _[Muffled: The shit has well and truly hit the fucking fan]._ I’m not prepared to continue working like this. Becker isn’t either. We’re just an excuse to play at the Special Relationship or whatever. They don’t care about our input and our attitudes to anomalies are so different they might – might as well be on Mars. _[Muffled: Too fucking right.]_ I mean I know some people including many ARC, ARC members, would be prepared to excuse the way they treat the creatures, and I kind of understand why they do it, but when it comes to their behaviour towards that little girl _[Muffled: When I get my hands on that {inaudible}]_ – we’re just not prepared to stand by and let it happen, this is useless, we’re not doing any good. This isn’t a useful blueprint for working with anomalies and they’re not interested in our expertise. They’re just not. We don’t do things the same way as them. Um, call us – call us when you get this, okay. Becker – _[Muffled: No, it’s fine, you said everything. Oh {inaudible} – please, Abby - stop crying. Miss Wickes will fix it, it’ll be fine…]_

 

_Voicemail ends._

***

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lester@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lester@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Akerman case complaint

 

RECORD OF CALL RECEIVED FROM THE MINISTER, 28/04/09

 

The Minister called at approximately 07.15, considerably agitated. I told him you were not yet in the office and asked if I should schedule a call for later or if he would prefer me to take a message. He did not seem to register either option, but continued with his message. I took notes and assured him that you would call him back.

 

He said that he had been speaking to his American opposite number, who had a serious complaint to make against both members of the team currently working in Florida, Ms Abigail Maitland and Captain Hilary Becker. He alleged that Ms Maitland and Captain Becker had behaved in a highly unprofessional manner, directly contradicting their hosts and causing major disruption to the containment of two potentially major incidents. I asked if there were any further details. He did not give any. I recommend contacting Ms Maitland and Captain Becker as soon as possible in order to clarify the events leading up to both this phone call and the message I received from Ms Maitland last night.

 

RECORD OF CALL RECEIVED FROM PROFESSOR MAE WHITELEY, 28/04/09

 

Professor Whiteley rang at 7.46, in a similar frame of mind to the Minister. She chose to leave a message rather than disturb you, but asked to be put in contact with Professor Cutter, apparently under the impression that he has direct authority over Captain Becker and Ms Maitland. I informed her that, under the Data Protection Act, I could not give Professor Cutter’s contact information to her, and furthermore that he has no authority over Captain Becker and limited ability to discipline Ms Maitland. I enquired as to why she was calling, and she told me that Captain Becker and Ms Maitland had taken a number of actions, separately and together, that flew in the face of their hosts’ orders. She added that while she understood their indignation and shared it to a degree, particularly where official treatment of Miss Akerman was concerned, she did not feel that they had approached the situation in an effective manner. She further stated that by ‘effective’, she meant to include the qualities of tactfulness and diplomacy; the actions were certainly ‘effective’ in that they achieved the desired object, but they were likely to alienate the members of the Temporal Phenomena Research Unit.

 

In light of this call, and previous communications received, I took steps to contact Ms Maitland and Captain Becker immediately.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 05.25 GMT, 28/04/09._

 

Can’t sleep. The Americans are doing their level best to drive Abby to murdering every last man jack of them, + I’m not far behind. Help.

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 00.32 EST, 28/04/09._

 

Will dropbox u UT recordings from last time u were insomniac. Or would you prefer S?

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 05.40, 28/04/09._

 

Bless you. UT def. Not quite so bad that I need tedium of the Silmarils.

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 00.47, 28/04/09._

Done. ur friend ok?

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 05.55, 28/04/09._

 

Sort of. There was some rage-crying. Also some moron-pointed-a-gun-at-me crying.

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 01.00, 28/04/09._

 

?!

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 6.02, 28/04/09._

 

Pretty much. Have promised to shoot him for her. Not sure it helped.


	7. Chapter 7

_Extracts from the personal diary of Captain Meher Anaadi, military-civilian liaison to the Temporal Phenomena Research Unit. Written over the course of the 27 th and 28th of April, 2009 in several different dialects of Arabic, Urdu and Dari. The only word not translated is ‘teep’, which appears phonetically rendered. Meher Anaadi was a founding member of the TPRU and an early adopter of their slang word for anomalies: ‘teep’, rendered from ‘TP’, or ‘Temporal Phenomenon’, analogous to the development of the word ‘Jeep’ from ‘General Purpose Vehicle’. Her diary provides a particularly vivid perspective on the TPRU, showcasing the extraordinary day-to-day lives of its members more effectively than Dr Terrence Graham’s highly edited account; a model of discretion in public and private, Anaadi expressed her true feelings with a potent mix of wit, vigour and foul language in her diary. The editors have chosen to present her writings with minimal alterations._

 

            I always knew the British were insane. Maitland and Becker seemed all right; Maitland has weird hair and worse eyeliner but she’s smart and professional and she knows her job, and Becker looks like he’s been yanked from a period drama and starched, but he’s clearly also a good soldier. Both treat me like a respected colleague.

 

            BUT THEY’RE CRAZY. SWEAR TO GOD. CRAZY.

 

            Becker at least was keeping his mouth shut until today. Maitland got a pissed expression on her face every time she realised we don’t look after creatures the way they apparently do in the UK (something about timelines and evolutionary history? I guess it all depends on whether you think time is linear or not?) but I could handle her and it wasn’t that big a deal anyway. And they were both really polite when Liebermann and Whiteley were acting like they were aliens because they don’t have six degrees, especially since Abby didn’t even finish her BA. They clearly function well as a team, too, because when that happened and Maitland had been polite about it for twenty minutes already Becker just stepped in and started carelessly talking about Merton – “Oh, sorry – Merton College, _Oxford_.” It was beautiful: Liebermann looked like he swallowed a spider. He sometimes needs his ass handed to him and Whiteley had the grace to act like she thought it was funny. Becker and Maitland were being pretty diplomatic about everything, is what I’m saying, even though I’m 99% certain Becker is judging most of the military detachment at work with every sentence that comes out of his mouth. Dry humour I can do, but not when I can’t even tell if he’s laughing at us or not. Actually, I’m pretty sure that whatever he’s doing it’s not laughing, but whatever it is, it’s definitely not flattering.

 

            But I’m honestly not really sure I can work with them after today. I definitely can’t keep a lid on them. They’re a law unto their fucking selves. The boss called me in at work this evening to shout at me, but what am I meant to do? They don’t work for us. Becker holds the same rank as me. Maitland ignores ranks. Gentle persuasion is about all I can manage – I don’t like my chances in a fight against Becker and he’d be prepared to put me through a wall to keep Maitland from being inconvenienced. (I wonder if they’re a thing?)

 

            It started out fine. One quick sortie to take a look at a fresh teep in the Akerman cluster, nothing particularly dangerous or difficult. I think they meant to get on the same boat but Becker was talking to someone and Maitland was talking to someone else and they got ushered onto separate ones. I went with Becker, but oh boy, I heard about everything that happened on the Maitland boat in technicolour detail as it was happening. They might as well have uploaded it to fucking Facebook. 

 

            Maitland was up the front of the boat with the zoologist and the vet. They were hoping for a look at some of the not-sharks, which are evil bastards if you ask me, or maybe some other critters. (Got to stop calling them critters, just because Whiteley and her weird husband think it’s cute doesn’t mean it is.) They came as close to the new teep as they were allowed to get, and this huge not-shark popped up – massive, as long as the boat, not necessarily aggressive but jeez – it could have had any of them off the boat and mincemeat in seconds. I’d have shot it too. The not-shark was just twisting, rolling over and over, the scientists and Maitland were taking pictures and speculating so loud I could hear them on the other boat, and then Maitland yelled “NO!”

 

            Becker jumped like he’d been electrocuted and went for a gun. (So glad I didn’t give him a gun.) We all scrambled to see what was going on, and because of Maitland’s ridiculous hair we could just about make out where she was and what she was doing. She was standing directly in front of a Marine, between him and the not-shark, talking loudly and firmly, and then the moron lifted his gun and she folded her arms and told him to back down, the not-shark never did anything to him and most likely it would go back through the anomaly in minutes, so there. At least, that’s what it looked like.

 

            In literally the calmest, most chilling voice I’ve ever heard, Becker said “Anaadi, I don’t know who he is, but if that Marine hurts Abby I will feed him and anyone who tries to stop me to that ichthyosaur in small manageable pieces, do you understand me?” I swear, that motherfucker’s made of ice and Eton and I was scared of him for a second there.

 

            I told him Maitland should not be standing in front of a gun. He told me that Maitland had a perfect right to stand wherever she pleased and the Marine had no business pointing a gun at anything he didn’t mean to shoot. OK, he had a point, but seriously? What did Maitland want to do with that thing? Right to life and all that, but it’s a dangerous animal, not a fluffy toy. The whole time this was happening, I was on the radio, telling Clarkson to put a lid on his men before it all went to shit and we had an enraged member of the SAS and a dead photogenic British blonde on our hands – it would’ve been a choice between death by PR department or death by creative dismemberment but I didn’t say that out loud at the time.

 

            The Marine wasn’t backing down. I’m going to find that idiot and put him on a plane to Alaska, one-way ticket: they can drop him somewhere nice and cold in the middle of nowhere. It took a good five minutes for him and Maitland’s standoff to end – Clarkson’s useless, it should have taken less than half that time – by which time, according to the vet, the not-shark had turned around and swum back through the teep. We all heard Maitland bellow “I told you so!” That woman’s got a yell like an armour-piercing round.

 

            I unilaterally decided that we’d all had enough fun for the day, and ordered a return to base. I’m never breathing a sigh of relief in this job again, because the second we were on dry land, more shit hit the fan. Lucia Akerman was standing on the dock watching the boat come in. I sympathise with her, that’s why I gave her back the pen Clarkson took from her even if I couldn’t get the notebook, but does she have no sense of self-preservation? Is she that desperate to see her father again? He might have been a devoted dad but he was a terrible human being and she’s old enough, and smart enough, to have noticed. She had a pair of expensive, very high-powered binoculars plus a new pen and notebook, and she was taking notes. I found out later from the assistant harbourmaster that she’d been given a ride out to the edge of the exclusion zone by one of her dad’s friends ‘so she could see where Daddy went’. She ran up to me to try and ask me a question – points for ballsiness. But she didn’t get there because one of the Marines growled at her and took a swing at her which actually connected, although it was only a glancing blow. (BUT STILL.) I just heard Lucia cry out, I didn’t even see who was responsible until Becker knocked him on his ass. I guess I should have known it would be Green: he’s a colossal asshole and I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. Clarkson says he came back from his last tour a bit unstable; I don’t know how the fuck he got cleared for duty, what kind of idiot shrink agreed to that?

 

            “What the fuck?” Green shouted. His friends grabbed him and tried to pull him back but they weren’t doing a great job of it, maybe because Green is massive and it was a choice between hurting him and themselves or letting him go.

 

            “Don’t hit kids,” Becker said. “Don’t hit anyone if you don’t have to – and you certainly didn’t have to hit her. But don’t hit kids.” His voice hit the same cold-as-fuck register it did on the boat. “Try to remember she’s a child, not an enemy combatant.”

 

            He turned his back on Green to talk to Lucia, who was crying and scared, and he really turned on the charm for her. Green rushed at Becker before his friends could stop him, but was stupid enough to trip over my outstretched foot, which maybe landed in his crotch immediately afterwards. That kept him down for a while, long enough for Sergeant Goldberg to grab him and hustle him out of the way. Goldberg has daughters Lucia’s age; I think he was more effective because he cared a fuck of a lot less about hurting Green under the circumstances.

 

            Becker didn’t so much as twitch. He was too busy getting Lucia to smile for him and checking she wasn’t hurt and where her mom was. (Martina Vazquez’s lawyers are going to be hell on wheels when this gets out.)

 

            Lucia looked at me like I’d personally killed her puppy when I managed to get to her. “I just wanted to tell you something!”

 

            “I know, Lucia, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Don’t worry, he’ll get his ass handed to him for what he did, I promise. In fact, I’ll do it personally. What did you want to tell me?”

 

            Lucia sniffed and wiped her nose. There was a bit of blood dripping from it. (I’m going to kill Green myself. He’s a complete fucking psycho and the world won’t miss him. Or I might just leave him in a locked room with Becker for half an hour. Same effect, less effort.) Maitland searched her pockets and produced a tissue from nowhere.

 

            “Thank you,” Lucia said. “It was about the deposit box my dad left for me. I worked out the security code.” She hefted her binoculars. “Those things twinkle. My dad was helping me with my German homework a few days before he disappeared. I was translating _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_.”

 

            Becker and Maitland looked at each other and then at me, and Maitland pulled out her camera and called up a picture of a teep, which she showed Lucia. Indiscreet as fuck, but I didn’t feel like I was in a position to complain, given that Green just HIT A FUCKING CIVILIAN. “You mean one of these? They twinkle?”

 

            Lucia nodded.

 

            “Ball lightning, well known for its twinkling properties,” Becker said very solemnly, and got up. “Well, if this deposit box is important, perhaps we should help you get what’s inside?”

 

            “I can do it myself!”  


            “I’m sure you can, but whatever’s inside might help us find your dad,” Becker said smoothly. He’s slick, I’ll give him that.

 

            “Okay then,” Lucia said, and that’s how I wound up sending Clarkson and his men back to base while I drove Lucia Akerman, Becker and Maitland to a bank in town. Neither Becker or Maitland would talk to me, they were both asking Lucia questions, and actually getting a lot out of her, more than even the police did. She’s been poking around for weeks, but I didn’t realise she was actually effective. And she’s made a lot of educated guesses that are 100% right. If the boss finds out how much she knows, we’re all going to be in a shitload of trouble, and so is she.

 

            The bank was, weirdly enough, some small little family affair. You would have thought Akerman would go for glitz and prestige at some massive headquarters of a huge multinational, but no. Still, it was pretty classy and the security was surprisingly impressive, and I guess they knew him there. It would be a good place to put something you wanted kept quiet.

 

            Lucia buzzed right up to the counter, and said all imperiously “Miss Akerman to see Mr Lynch, please.” The teller gave her a funny look – well, I mean, twelve-year-old with a bruise on her face and a bit of dried blood under her nose, what can you expect? – but pressed a buzzer to call the manager anyway, and eventually we found ourselves staring down Mr Lynch, who runs the place.

 

            “I know what the secret key is!” Lucia said, without leaving any room for small talk or manners. “It’s twinkle, twinkle, little star!”

 

            Mr Lynch blinked, checked a folder, and then nodded and politely congratulated Lucia on her ‘detective skills’, which made me wince, because – seriously, a kid playing at being Nancy Drew should not be in any way rivalling us. The deposit box was brought up to us, a rectangular steel box with a key which Mr Lynch handed to Lucia. I swear to God he was enjoying himself.

 

            Lucia opened the deposit box and started to cry. She latched onto Becker, who looked a bit surprised but hugged her back and made soothing noises while Maitland flipped through the thick sheaves of paper in the box, dislodging a small black memory stick. There were three separate lots. Firstly, there was a set of immaculate colour photographs of teeps, creatures that had come out of them, and landscapes through the teeps - one, the one that got photographed most, was like a tropical sea with desert islands in a film or an ad. Secondly, there was a log of his work on teeps that made it look like he’d been fucking around with them for weeks before we even started to investigate them. And thirdly, there was a massive document that sat on top of the others like a decoy, labelled clearly:

 

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF KYLE AKERMAN.

 

            No wonder Lucia burst into tears.

 

            Maitland was concentrating on the pictures and the log, taking shots on her camera phone of the pages. I picked up the will and had a look. He left all his money and real estate to Lucia, except for some personal bequests and a large chunk of cash for John Claud Reveille II, who had control of his business interests until Lucia’s 18th birthday. Plus he left the yacht to Martina Vazquez, which I think was just a way of saddling her with something expensive and sentimental (bet that backfires – Vazquez isn’t a sentimental woman). But that wasn’t as interesting as the fact that he left all his intellectual property, ‘including my scientific research’, to Lucia. With a shit-ton of safeguards to make sure it got to her, too.

 

            Lynch muttered something about the will not having been proved yet and no declaration of death, and I decided that all the data was going back to the TPRU, and I didn’t care what anyone else thought – it’s vital evidence and it’s not the kind of thing that should be in civilian hands. Vazquez wouldn’t hesitate to publish this, and being a rich and influential foreign national she’d be hard to pressure. She could get deported, I guess, but she’d be thrilled to go and she’d only use it against us. I asked Lucia as sweetly as I could if she’d mind if I took the stuff back to base so we could use it to help find her dad, and she shook her head and said I could have it. At least, I think she did, she was still crying. She agreed, though, that’s what matters.

 

            Maitland gave me a really sharp look like she knew what I was doing but didn’t try to stop me or say anything. I put the stuff back in the box and shut it and locked it, and then we went away.  Lucia hung on to Becker, but she did stop crying eventually, and Becker and Maitland made a fuss of her. I will say this for them, getting Lucia back to her mother would have been a lot more tortuous if they hadn’t been there and smoothed the whole thing over. Becker escaped looking a bit harassed – Maitland nearly laughed at him and asked if he’d been getting indecent proposals again. (I don’t blame Martina Vazquez one bit.)

 

            I took them back to their hotel and told them to stay there. Becker told me they weren’t going anywhere. Maitland was already halfway to her room by that point, she just took off the moment she got out of the car. I asked what was wrong with her. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget the cold look Becker gave me when he said “I’m sure she’s fine.” Or the tone. Jesus Christ, the tone. It shouted “I know exactly why she’s so upset and it’s all your fault, you shitty excuse for a human being.”

 

            “Hey, I’m going to catch hell for this too,” I said.

 

            “My heart bleeds for you, Captain,” Becker said, and stamped away. He’s so protective of her they’ve _got_ to be dating. Either that or they’re blood brothers. (Blood brother and sister?)

 

            And you know, I’m sorry they feel that way. But I have shit to get done and orders to follow. We’re trying to find Akerman’s body, shut the teeps down and stop the not-sharks, that’s all. Plus now we have to sort out Green before he hurts anyone else, including himself. Neither of them has any idea how fucking difficult it is to keep that area locked down. I mean, it’s the sea; how do you shut down the sea?

 

            I haven’t got time for their scruples. Or their hurt feelings. I’m sorry Maitland’s upset, though.


	8. Chapter 8

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: URGENT

 

Conn, download these attached files and get started on the analysis NOW. They’re important for the Akerman thing. I might have had to steal the memory stick they came on.  We need everything you can get on them. Please?

 

Abby

 

_Abby Maitland_

_Head of Creature Research and Care Department_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: URGENT

 

Wow, okay. On it.

 

what’s wrong? Lester + co are running around like bluearsed flies. and why did you have to steal a memory stick?

 

_Connor Temple_

_Head of Information Technology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: URGENT

 

I don’t want to talk about it.

 

_Abby Maitland_

_Head of Creature Research and Care Department_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

 

_Extracts from email draft to the Minister, composed by James Lester, amended by Jenny Lewis and Lorraine Wickes._

 

… On consultation with ~~my team members~~ (unnecessary) Ms Maitland and Captain Becker, as well as with Professor Whiteley, the scientific head of the Temporal Phenomena Research Unit, I find that the point of view presented to you by your American colleague is perhaps somewhat ~~prejudiced~~ (inflammatory)biased against the British team. Ms Maitland’s actions are excusable in light of her expertise, which ~~naturally leads her to avoid~~ makes her sound irrational, emotion-driven has informed ARC policy to the extent that we prefer non-lethal action as more humane and less dangerous…

 

Captain Becker’s behaviour ~~is that which might be expected of any officer confronted with an injustice~~ (what has happened to your style, James – stress or too much Barbara Cartland?) was completely justified. Professor Whiteley herself admitted that one of the Marines attached to the TPRU had ~~struck a young bystander~~ committed an unprovoked assault on a twelve-year-old girl and that Becker responded with sufficient force to prevent a recurrence and no more ~~:~~. (run-on sentence) I am sure you would not wish any representative of the British government to condone violence against children…

 

…I am satisfied with the actions taken by the members of my team. Unless further information becomes available to me which suggests that Ms Maitland and Captain Becker did not behave in accordance with the strong ethical standpoints, keen understanding of ARC best practice and high level of expertise that led to their selection for this assignment, I ~~do not intend to~~ do not see the need to take disciplinary action. Furthermore, I wish to make urgent enquiries of Professor Whiteley and her military colleagues as to how and why a Marine was permitted to draw a gun on Ms Maitland, regardless of where she happened to be standing at the time ~~:~~. ~~All the information I have received~~ My team’s welfare must be my priority in this situation. If the Americans no longer require their expertise they should allow them to leave. It is worth noting that reports I and Ms Lewis have received from them suggest that their expertise, far from being valued and taken into account in the handling of a difficult situation we were asked to advise on, has been largely ignored and treated as irrelevant. ~~Ms Maitland and Captain Becker continue to advise out of the goodness of their hearts, a finite quality and one that should not be overtaxed.~~ Given our willingness to assist, I find this lack of professional respect disappointing. (Really, James, curb the mother-tigress impulse  and your purple prose, please.)

 

***

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Message from Lester

 

Captain,

 

Lester has been called away to a meeting, but wanted me to ask you and Abby to take fewer risks in future. He also wished me to congratulate you on knocking down the Marine who hit a child.

 

I am also to ask if you wish your plane tickets to be brought forward. Lester is strongly of the opinion that the Temporal Phenomena Research Unit and the Anomaly Research Centre are so different in mission statement and standard operating procedures that the two cannot be reconciled, and that any useful assistance you have rendered has been largely unasked-for and unthanked. Under these circumstances he sees no point in leaving you in place for the remaining six days.

 

Lorraine Wickes.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Message from Lester

 

Dear Miss Wickes,

 

Lester’s support is greatly appreciated by both Ms Maitland and myself. His assessment of the differences between the ARC and the TPRU agrees with our own observations. Although we have had periods of accord with the TPRU in which we have been able to offer advice and assistance, these have been relatively few and far between, and the last two days have been particularly trying.

 

This is especially the case because, in light of our actions on the 27th, Captain Anaadi suggested that we remain in our hotel on the 28th. Accordingly we have not attempted to leave the hotel or contact the TPRU, and we have not heard from them at all. We do not regret our actions, but this is an unfortunate way to end our time in Florida.

 

A change in the timing of the plane tickets would be much appreciated. We have already started packing.

 

Best wishes,

 

Becker

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _h.becker@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

 

From: [c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: that stuff you sent me

 

Don’t do this too often, ok? I can’t just drop everything to deal with your stuff. But this was some pretty cool stuff, so thanks.

 

Basically, the documents you sent me suggest that Kyle Akerman’s had an interest in anomalies for at least the past two years. He’s made a very careful note of everything that might be an anomaly. He uses literally the same formula as Sarah does for sorting the anomaly sightings from the high 12th century monks. Then there’s a record of six different trips to anomalies, on three of which he actually went through. You could cross-check these with the times he was known to be in and out of the marina maybe?

 

The timestamps on the photographs suggest that he spent the most of the trips through behind his desert-island anomaly – the others look like really quick little dashes in and out. That means that has to be a pretty stable anomaly. Looking at the data you sent me before, I think it must be the one Liebermann called #12 – the second from the right in the first big photograph of the anomalies. The readings suggest that that’s by far the most stable of the anomalies, definitely stable enough to go through and stay for a couple of hours. The others seem to flicker in and out of existence.

 

I can’t guess at what time period it leads to. It’s definitely not something obvious like the Precambrian, because he’d have died the first time he went through and not sent back any pictures, and there’d be no desert island with palm trees.

 

One thing – it looks pretty, yeah? Like a fantasy of a tropical island. Akerman could’ve gone through any anomaly and got trapped, right? But why would he go through lots of anomalies and hang around there? Isn’t it way more likely he’d have gone through the one he already knew he liked and stuck around, particularly if he was looking for some kind of getaway? That’s where I’d look for him anyway.

 

Take care of yourself, yeah? Miss Wickes said something about someone pointing a gun at you and you being really, really angry.

 

Conn

 

_Connor Temple_

_Head of Information Technology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[c.temple@arc.gov.uk](mailto:c.temple@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [n.cutter@arc.gov.uk](mailto:n.cutter@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Well done.

 

Abby -

 

Jenny told me you stood up for a creature and didn’t back down when someone threatened to shoot you the other day. Good work. Don’t let the bastards get you down.

 

NC

_Prof. N. Cutter_

_Head of Palaeontology Department_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[n.cutter@arc.gov.uk](mailto:n.cutter@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Fwd: Well done.

 

What have you DONE to him?!

 

 

_Abby Maitland_

_Head of Creature Research and Care Department_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: [no subject]

 

Abby

 

Jenny says you’re having a shitty time. Hang in there.

 

Stephen

 

_Dr. Stephen Hart_

_Associate Researcher, Department of Palaeontology_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[s.hart@arc.gov.uk](mailto:s.hart@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

To: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Monumental fuck-up

 

Becker, did you really hit a Marine for smacking a child around?

 

_Major T. Ryan_

_Head of Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Monumental fuck-up

 

Yes sir.

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _h.becker@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

To: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Monumental fuck-up

 

You’ve definitely had worse ideas.

 

_Major T. Ryan_

_Head of Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [t.ryan@arc.gov.uk](mailto:t.ryan@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Monumental fuck-up

 

Thank you, sir.

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _h.becker@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

 

***

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 18.50 GMT, 28/04/09._

 

I think being supported on the disaster that was y’day is scarier than y’day was. MAJOR RYAN IS HUMAN. WHAT?

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 14.55 EST, 28/04/09._

 

poor lamb.

 

***

From: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

To: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Message from Lester

 

Dear Miss Wickes,

 

In light of developments that have taken place since I sent my last email to you, the need to change mine and Ms Maitland’s plane tickets may have become less urgent. Shortly after I sent my email, Captain Anaadi arrived at the hotel, asking for me. She did not ask for Ms Maitland, but both Abby and I went down anyway. She queried this, but we reminded her that we work as a team.

 

Anaadi was visibly uncomfortable. She said she had been talking to her superiors, and had been told that while my actions could be forgiven Ms Maitland’s were not likely to be. I am unsure why this is: Abby did not raise a hand to any member of the TPRU and I did. Moreover, Abby made a correct decision on the basis of her field experience and an expertise which has been largely ignored by the TPRU, with the exception of their small biological sciences team. I pointed this out to Anaadi.

 

Anaadi said that the Marine who hit Lucia Akerman was a known troublemaker whose difficult tendencies are exacerbated by issues derived from previous deployments, and they’d been looking for ways to get him off the TPRU anyway. The same was not true of the Marine who tried to shoot the ichthyosaur, threatening Ms Maitland with a gun in the process, who had only been following standing orders. She went on to say that while I would be welcome back at the TPRU, Ms Maitland would not be. Ms Maitland stated clearly that was not a problem, as she never wanted to set foot in the place again. Anaadi said her superiors would be delighted to hear that.

 

I explained to Anaadi that I am not the important member of this team. Ms Maitland is the one whose contributions to the ARC will have been missed during our secondment; plenty of people can point a gun and shoot it accurately. I said that if Ms Maitland was persona non grata, I would consider myself persona non grata too.

 

At this point Ms Maitland broke in and told Anaadi that she had dropped something in the bank, whereupon she returned the black memory stick that had been in the deposit box to Anaadi and summarised Mr Temple’s deductions based on the information it contained. Anaadi looked as if she might have a stroke, but grudgingly pocketed the memory stick and said that she would ensure that was taken into account. Before she left I asked her if our help was still required or not.

 

Anaadi said that was not her decision to take, but she would see what could be done.

 

I am not sure how this will affect our intention to leave as soon as possible. Please advise.

 

Regards,

 

Becker

 

_Captain Becker_

_Security_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

 

From: [l.wickes@arc.gov.uk](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

To: [h.becker@arc.gov.uk](mailto:h.becker@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Message from Lester

 

Dear Captain Becker,

 

I am pleased to hear that you no longer feel you might be hounded out of the country. I have spoken to Lester, and he says that since the earliest return tickets I could feasibly get for you are in two days’ time, you should expect to leave then. This will give them time to make any apologetic overtures, should they feel the need to do so, but will not prolong your stay unnecessarily.

 

Regards,

 

Lorraine Wickes.

 

_Lorraine Wickes_

_Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[ _l.wickes@arc.gov.uk_ ](mailto:l.wickes@arc.gov.uk)

 

***

 

From: [Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk](mailto:Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk)

To: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

Subject: I didn’t see this coming

 

Becker is rather a protective personality, isn’t he?

 

From: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

To: [Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk](mailto:Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk)

Subject: Re: I didn’t see this coming

 

Abby? Surely not. £10 says he’s gay.

 

From: [Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk](mailto:Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk)

To: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: I didn’t see this coming

 

£20 says Quinn had another reason for crawling around in the air vents than his five-year-old sense of humour.

 

From: [jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk](mailto:jennylewis@jmlconsultancy.co.uk)

To: [Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk](mailto:Lorraine_Wickes@googlemail.co.uk)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: I didn’t see this coming

 

I’m not taking that bet, it’s far too obvious.

 

***

 

_Text from Meher Anaadi to Hilary Becker, received 07.50 EST, 30/04/09._

 

We’re making one final trip to the anomaly site before they close it off to scientists – it’s weakening. I got you and Maitland access. Get downstairs.


	9. Chapter 9

From: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

To: [j.lewis@arc.gov.uk](mailto:j.lewis@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: final sort of report

 

Hi Jenny

 

I’m typing this from their airport while we wait for our flight to be called, so I’m not going to put it in proper report format. Becker can deal with that when we get home. (We tossed a coin. It took him half an hour to stop grumbling about losing the toss, but he’s now gone to sleep in his chair with his head hanging over the back and his mouth wide open like a basking shark, so I’ll graciously forgive the grumbling on the grounds that I’ve just taken lots of pictures which I’m going to put up on Facebook.)

 

After Anaadi came and told us I was in disgrace on the 28th, I thought that was pretty much it. Becker still hoped we might be in with a chance of doing something useful instead of having to just trot home, but Becker bonded with Anaadi over deployment stories ages ago and she and I have just no common ground – so he still likes her despite everything and I’m sick of her. Not as sick of her as I am of most of her colleagues, but I still don’t like her. She’s all right! We’re just not a friendship for the ages.

 

Anyway, we heard nothing on the 29th. I was tempted to go out sightseeing, but then I thought, what if something does happen? We don’t know our way around here and wouldn’t be able to get back in time. We didn’t want to give them any reasons to criticise our professionalism – any fair reasons, that is. I stand by all my actions including pocketing that memory stick (Anaadi really did drop it – she knocked it out of the deposit box when she picked up the will.) So we hung around doing nothing on the 29th, if you exclude trying out the hotel pool. Becker has a keep-fit regime to maintain, apparently. I’m not complaining. It was on the 30th that things started to happen. Becker got a text from Anaadi just before eight a.m., saying that there was going to be a final trip out to the anomalies for scientists, and that she’d wangled us a place on it. Both of us. We practically ran downstairs and jumped into the car, and got driven off to the marina. We got some unfriendly looks, but to be honest, we’re sort of used to that. Being on an anomaly team doesn’t make you many friends, does it?

 

At the marina, we all got parcelled into boats – Becker and I stuck close together this time – and ferried out to the anomalies. It was Liebermann who made the call that the anomalies were weakening, and he was definitely right. There were a lot fewer of them and those that were there looked weaker, except for the one Connor said was #12, the one he thought Akerman had gone through. The biggest, strongest looking one which is slightly above the water. Get Connor to forward you the picture, he’ll know the one I mean. Connor thinks it leads to a gorgeous tropical island landscape that was in Akerman’s pictures.

 

I was talking to Liebermann about this while Becker chatted to Anaadi, obviously trying to build bridges after we annoyed her so much. (Er, good luck with that…) I asked if they’d gone through and looked for Akerman there. Liebermann gave me a really wistful look and said they never go through anomalies. I asked ‘why not’ and he said lots of stuff about potentially changing the past and dangerousness and so on. I reminded him that they potentially change the past every time they kill a creature and that being on the right side of an anomaly is often only a bit less dangerous than being on the wrong side of an anomaly.

 

Liebermann looked really thoughtful, or maybe he just looked seasick. He was always a bit green on the trips we took out to sea. Professor Whiteley kept offering him little nausea-preventative wristbands. He was wearing six of them this time but I don’t think they were helping.

 

“Hey,” Anaadi said. “You really think he’s through there?”

 

It took me a bit to realise she was talking to me. Becker looked equally surprised.

 

Liebermann was sick over the side, which was a lot less surprising. I moved upwind of him and answered Anaadi. “I don’t know, but it’s the best chance of finding him. I mean, if he’s through an anomaly then he probably went through that one. He spent most time there and it’s the prettiest of all the ones he took pictures of.  And if he went through that one, unless he got killed by something on the other side, then there’s a decent chance he’s still alive. If he went through another one, then he’s dead. Or at least you’re not getting him back.”

 

Anaadi looked thoughtful. Actually thoughtful, not seasick. “If he is through there, then why didn’t he come back?”

 

“Maybe Lucia should be asking that question,” I said.

 

There was a short pause. Liebermann recovered and started taking readings of the anomalies.

 

“It’s a strong anomaly,” Anaadi said.

 

I nodded.

 

“What have we got to lose?” Anaadi said.

 

I shrugged.

 

“If we found him, it would be worth it.”

 

I shrugged again. It wasn’t like she was going to let either me or Becker make her decisions for her: she’d already chosen, she was just pretending she hadn’t.

 

Anaadi went and had a chat with the guy sailing the boat, then radioed back to shore. I watched a pterodactyl fly in and out of an anomaly and glared at someone who lifted a rifle to shoot it. Becker coughed, and the guy turned and caught my eye and nearly dropped his rifle. That was satisfying.

 

It took ages, but eventually Anaadi came back and said we were going through. I nearly fell off the boat, but Becker grabbed me by the back of the shirt. Whiteley gave an actual quavery gasp of joy.

 

Five minutes later all three scientific boats were on the other side of the anomaly.

 

Tell Connor he was right, it was the tropical island anomaly. It was absolutely gorgeous, Jenny, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen – turquoise sea and golden sandy beaches and balmy sunlight. It looked like something out of a travel brochure, only it was real. I’m not sure if it was prehistoric or not but I’m pretty sure it was pre-Christopher Columbus. There was some vegetation, but not much, on the island, and on the other side of a sandbar separating the main island from us was a yacht. Becker got out a pair of binoculars and squinted at it. “Ha,” he said, and passed the binoculars to me. We could read the name painted on the hull: _Esperanza_.

 

And there was a really, really guilty-looking guy standing on deck. Three guesses who THAT was.

 

Anaadi sighed like she was really irritated. Becker said he would have thought she’d be pleased. Anaadi just said “Paperwork.” I know what she means.

 

We sailed up to the island, being careful of the sandbank, and dropped anchor (? I only read Swallows and Amazons when I was little, I don’t actually know anything about boats) beside the _Esperanza_. Kyle Akerman put his hands in the air and Anaadi took a pair of handcuffs out, hopped over onto the _Esperanza_ , and clapped the handcuffs on him. He didn’t resist. He looked really sheepish on a really grand scale, and nothing like his daughter – Lucia is likeable.

 

“I arrest you, Kyle Akerman,” she said, “for fraud.” She glowered at him. “And for wasting police time. And public funds. And generally being a FUCKING NUISANCE.”

 

We all sort of cheered then, but as we were cheering I realised Anaadi was still talking, under cover of the noise. She rattled off his rights, then shook him a bit and said, “Have you any IDEA how worried your daughter is?”

 

And that made me think, because this isn’t over for the Akermans. And Vazquezes. I mean, Lucia loves her dad, but does she know he’s a criminal? Because I reckon Kyle Akerman has a lot to answer to – bribes, but more the stuff he was paying bribes for. I don’t even know what that was, really. But to be worth paying two politicians $500,000 just in case one of them got into power, it must have been pretty bad. And John Claud Whatever said he had a knack for ‘just finding’ money. I wonder where he ‘just found’ it.

  
Also, this anomaly has been open the whole time he was gone. The only reason he wasn’t found is because the Americans don’t make a practice of going through anomalies, even for a quick look, on safety grounds – and when I think of some of the things that have happened to us on the wrong side of anomalies I understand why. But he COULD have gone home and he didn’t. He basically let the daughter who loves him more than anything else believe he was dead.  And maybe part of that was because he thought Martina needed ‘some breathing room’, and because John ‘advised him to take a short break’. Maybe part of it was because he was ‘stressed and fed up’. He really wanted to talk, once he was handcuffed and he had to go back. He tried to persuade everyone he hadn’t committed any crime or done anything wrong. I’m sure he’s done plenty of things wrong, and maybe this wasn’t one of them – but it was certainly a cowardly and selfish thing. Remember he was supposed to have called for help? Like it said in the first articles about him disappearing? I’ll bet you anything you like that was designed to make sure everyone thought it had been an accident, and to cut off the search for him as soon as possible. He knew the TPRU wouldn’t authorise multiple trips through anomalies to try and find him – there were a lot of anomalies in that complex and some of them were much weaker than others, he could have gone through any of them. I think by the time we found him he thought he was safe from anyone coming to look for him at all.

 

He was definitely settled in for a while. There was a fire on the beach – he’d been fishing and cooking and eating fruit, actual recognisable tropical fruits that you could find on the island, although he’d had a lot of supplies in his yacht.  That really puts a hole in the idea that he just casually went sailing a month ago and accidentally went through an anomaly. Nobody carries food for a month just because, not on a pretty boat like that – you could tell it was only made for leisure. He’d even dug himself a latrine and made a shelter. Not a proper one – it was clearly mostly for lounging in. He was sleeping on the boat still.

 

I don’t know if he realised, but anomaly #12 wasn’t going to last that much longer. Liebermann estimated six hours. If he’d stayed for just a bit longer he would never have come back through, and then he’d really have been gone. There would have been no more anomalies for another fifty years, and I doubt he’d have survived fifty years. I don’t think he would have survived a SINGLE year without going mad – who would have done, all alone like that? I wonder if he thought about what he’d do if that happened? I somehow don’t think he did.

 

Anyway, we stayed for an hour or two, poked around the island while the TPRU’s scientists took readings. There was nothing to suggest any humans had been there, and it was really, really small. There wasn’t much wildlife. A few monkeys, maybe. When time was up, we got back on the boats – a couple of Marines took over the _Esperanza_ , with Akerman under armed guard – and sailed back through the anomaly. Simple, really.

 

Lucia was waiting on the quay again. The assistant harbourmaster, Maddie Whatsername, must have a massive soft spot for her. I can see why. She shrieked as we came into view – she must have seen the _Esperanza_ and guessed that her father was on board, although she can’t have known then if he was dead or alive and she must have been scared. Akerman had the decency to look guilty. Anaadi gave him a nasty look and said something in a language I didn’t understand, but which made Becker snort. I know Becker does languages, I’m never going to forget finding out he used to speak MEDIAEVAL WELSH, but I have no idea what he was speaking then.

 

Becker’s woken up and he’s reading over my shoulder. He says Anaadi called Akerman a ‘cowardly sack of shit’ in Pashto. That’s nice. Akerman deserved it, anyway.

 

We pulled up at the dock, and the first thing Anaadi did was shove Akerman onto dry ground. Lucia shrieked some more and ran at him and threw her arms around him. She was crying and saying over and over again that she knew he would come back, she knew it. You can’t blame her, can you? I mean, he loves her to bits. He was just enough of a selfish git to decide it would be nice to take a bit of a holiday, without worrying about what would happen to his little girl while he was gone. I think Martina and John and Lucia were right when they said Akerman would have come back for her. I think he fully intended to come back for her. Eventually. When he was ready. Never mind that he hadn’t left so much as a note.

 

There’s a special place in hell for people like Kyle Akerman, Jenny. Anaadi’s right about him, people who abandon their kids are pieces of shit. I hope he goes to prison for a long, long time. Becker thinks he won’t – thinks he’ll get a good lawyer and get out of it. I’ll settle for Martina getting full custody and taking her daughter home to Buenos Aires, to be honest. I know which one I’d trust a kid to, anyway.

 

Lucia looked horrified when she realised her dad was in handcuffs. He lied and told her it was just a formality and he just needed to answer some questions. He needs to answer a whole lot of questions, from what I’ve heard and read about him, but whatever. Lucia deserves to be happy more than he deserves to have a slightly more guilt-free conscience, so I’m all for the lies. Anaadi sent Akerman back to the TPRU, and then we gave Lucia a lift home – well, actually, Lucia gave us a lift home. Her nanny Joséfina drove her to the marina, so she took us back to Lucia’s house as well, where we explained to Martina what had happened. Martina had some pretty rude things to say about her husband, but if I’d been married to Kyle Akerman I daresay I’d have come out with worse. Martina insisted on giving us all coffee and cake and thanking us – if nothing else, she said, because Lucia had some closure now and wouldn’t be running around playing at being Nancy Drew. The glint in her eyes suggested that she would actually have been quite pleased if something had eaten Akerman behind the anomaly, but again, if I’d been married to Kyle Akerman, I would have liked the thought, too.

 

Martina had Joséfina give us a lift back to the hotel, too, just in time for us to pick up our stuff – all ready packed – and drive off to the airport. Well, I thought we were going to cut it a bit fine, but Anaadi arranged for a full blues and twos escort and some very fast driving, so we were actually early. I’m not going to lie, that was fun and I wish I could have been driving. At any rate, the plane’s delayed – which is why I’ve had time to write this to you.

 

Anaadi helped carry our bags and then left us at the airport. She and Becker shook hands and had a moment of soldierly bonding, and then she looked at me and held out her hand. “I think both of us were doing our job as we defined it,” she said. “No hard feelings?”

 

I said there were no hard feelings and shook hands with her. “But if I see that Marine who pointed a gun at me again, I’ll knock him out.”

 

She looked kind of sceptical and a bit indulgent. “You do martial arts?”

 

“Six years of Muay Thai,” I said.

 

Anaadi actually burst out laughing, but it was a respectful sort of laughter, not an insult. “We should’ve had a match while you were out here!”

 

“Next time,” Becker said, grinning.

 

Under other circumstances, I think we could have been friends. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t a bit glad to see the back of her. And the TPRU. And Florida.

 

They’ve just called our plane, Jenny, I have to go. Apart from anything else, Becker’s gone back to sleep and I have to wake him up, and I think that might be a bit of a mission. He’s started to snore.

 

Abby 

 

_Abby Maitland_

_Head of Creature Research and Care Department_

_Anomaly Research Centre_

[a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)


	10. Chapter 10

 

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 05.50, 01/05/09._

 

Landed. God, I love business class. Slept like a log.

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 07.00, 01/05/09._

 

abby says u snored like a walrus.

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 07.01, 01/05/09._

 

How do you have Abby’s number?!

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 07.30, 01/05/09._

 

uh ur colleague sarah knows someone who knows me and put us in touch? And sarah said she thought I might find some numbers useful, inc abby’s?

_Text from Hilary Becker to Aethelflaed Morris, received 07.32, 01/05/09._

 

OH GOD, NO ESCAPE

 

_Text from Aethelflaed Morris to Hilary Becker, received 07.40, 01/05/09._

 

I told u not to cross the streams

 

***

_Text from Connor Temple to Abby Maitland, received 07.00, 01/05/09._

 

Hey if u + becker want a lift home, i brought the car. Waiting in arrivals for u @ T5.

 

***

 

From: [lucialocket2@gmail.com](mailto:lucialocket2@gmail.com)

To: [a.maitland@arc.gov.uk](mailto:a.maitland@arc.gov.uk)

Subject: hello

 

Dear Ms Maitland,

 

This is Lucia Akerman. Meher (she says you call her Captain Anaadi) gave me your email address because I specially wanted to say thank you to you and Captain Becker for your help in finding my dad. Also, can you tell Captain Becker I say thank you for punching that Marine? I really appreciated it. And the doctors say my nose isn’t broken after all and Captain Anaadi says he’s going to be court-martialled and she’ll personally throw the book at him. I hope it’s a heavy book.

 

I thought you might also like to know that my dad’s fine. The doctors say he isn’t even a little hurt. He’s getting sued by the government, though. That’s not great. But I’ve been reading about the things he’s done – the bits Mom will let me read, or the bits that she doesn’t know I’m reading because I make sure I’m not doing it when she’s around – and I think maybe he had it coming. At least he has to stand up in court and explain. Maybe while he’s explaining to everyone else he can explain to me why he stayed away so long but I don’t think he’s going to.

 

We’re moving to Buenos Aires anyway. I’m sad my dad didn’t get custody and I’m moving away from him, but I’m excited for Argentina and mis abuelos. (That’s grandparents in Spanish. I don’t know if you speak Spanish but I do cause Mom said I had to and it’s a nice language I guess?) And Mom promised I can always visit my dad, even if he has to go to prison. I don’t want him to go to prison but if he broke the law he should.

 

I’m thinking about colleges and what I want to be when I grow up. Meher told me all about teeps because she said I knew too much anyway and I promised to keep my mouth shut and tell nobody. Nobody would believe me if I did, so. She says you call them anomalies in England. I think I might want to go to college in England because I’ve never been there before and it looks cool. I was reading about Oxford and it’s supposed to be like the best college in the world, so maybe I should see if I can go there.

 

I speak two languages and I’m learning two more, German and Mandarin. I like sciences. I like math and physics best.  What kind of qualifications do people have to have to come and work for you? I want to travel the world and anomalies seem like a cool thing to follow.

 

Sincerely,

 

Lucia

 

***

 

_Meeting to debrief Abby Maitland and Captain Hilary Becker, 03/05/09. Minutes taken by Lorraine Wickes._

 

PRESENT: Abby Maitland, Captain Becker, Major Tom Ryan, Stephen Hart, James Lester, Lorraine Wickes, Professor Nick Cutter, Danny Quinn, Sarah Page, Jenny Lewis.

 

REGRETS: None.

 

JPL: I think I speak for everyone when I say welcome back, Abby, Becker, and thank you for only creating one small international incident.

Cap B: We’re sorry about that.

JML: Really?

AM: Well…

 

(laughter)

 

JPL: Be that as it may, I was hoping for a brief – BRIEF, PLEASE – summary of what you learnt from your experiences –

DQ: In the fleshpots of Miami!

AM: We were in Monroe County. No fleshpots.

DQ: You clearly weren’t paying attention, Abs.

AM: No, I was getting guns pointed at me instead. I asked you not to call me that.

Cap B: Shut up, Quinn. You were saying, sir.

JPL: - in Florida. Quinn, the mammoth needs mucking out. Make a note, Miss Wickes.

LW: Noted, sir.

DQ: Hey! You can’t -

LW: I can’t?...

DQ: …Nothing.

TR: Sensible man.

DQ: Thank you, Major Ryan.

JPL: AS I WAS SAYING.

 

(pause)

 

Cap B: Of course, sir. Both of us have prepared specific reports on our areas of expertise which have already been submitted to the relevant Heads of Department.

JPL: How diligent of you, Captain (and Ms Maitland, of course). I was hoping for general impressions. No great level of detail required.

AM: Well, basically: they were very prepared to take us seriously as British colleagues, but they weren’t prepared to take the sort of colleagues we were seriously.

Cap B: They were expecting a mathematician or a physicist, I think. Certainly people with more letters after their names. Animal handling doesn’t feature in their understanding of the anomalies and their military presence is – well, it changes all the time, but if what we saw is typical then it dominates their anomaly project but is less effective and disciplined. I don’t think a large and less well-trained team is necessarily a bad thing in the sense that it’s what they feel they have to do to cover the massive area they work on, it’s a case of the lesser of two evils, but equally I think their approach is not one that would work for us. (pause) On any level.

Maj R: The fewer people you go around hitting, the happier a commanding officer I will be. Which means I will drop you in less shit.

Cap B: … Yes, sir.

JPL: Thank you for that unique insight, Major Ryan, I knew I could rely on you.

 

(laughter)

 

AM: They’re definitely more military-led than scientist-led, in a pattern that I think we sort of saw with the French, except the French soldiers have a more comfortable working relationship with their science colleagues, I think? The Americans are very isolated from each other. The two halves of the TPRU don’t work together very well. Maybe that’s not true at other outposts, but it’s definitely true in Florida.

CT: Jake said something like that. Um, Jacob Liebermann. I’m still in touch with him, we were hoping to do some data sharing.

NC: Fantastic, Connor. It’s good to see some cooperation in the –

JML: If I hear the words ‘international scientific community’ –

NC: - INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY –

 

(laughter)

 

AM: We tried…

NC: I know, lass, and you did a lot better than I would have done!

JPL: Which is why we didn’t send you, Cutter.

 

(laughter)

 

AM: The Akerman case itself was resolved. It was the obvious answer, in a way.

Cap B: Everyone was telling him he needed to get out, get away. He was coming under pressure from his ex-wife, his business partner, and the American government, so he followed through on the temptation to escape. And of course, he went through the nicest, most stable-looking anomaly.

AM: Logical, sort of. Except now he has to explain himself to his daughter. Oh – that’s something. Er… our liaison, Captain Anaadi, gave Lucia Akerman my email address.

JPL: Really.

AM: Yes. And she emailed me.

JPL: Is that so.

AM: Yes. Apparently she wants to work for us.

JPL: Remind me how old she is?

AM: … Twelve.

 

(laughter)

 

AM: Hey, that’s not fair, that’s the same age as Taylor Crane and you didn’t laugh at her!

DQ: Who’s Taylor Crane?

SH: A teenaged girl with more balls than you’ll ever have. She’ll be in the reports database. Silurian scorpions.

JPL: Regardless. I feel Miss Akerman has a lot of growing up to do.

AM: I don’t know, realising your dad who you IDOLISE is a complete liar might help there. She’s still only twelve. But it’s not that she’s not mature enough. She’s more mature than some of the people sitting around this table.

Cap B: I agree.

 

(pause)

 

Cap B: Anyway. I think we might have rescued our reputation with the TPRU to a certain degree by finding Akerman, because that was entirely down to Connor’s educated guesses and Abby and myself persuading the Americans to follow up on them.

AM: On which note, um- thank you, Connor, for the quick turnaround on the analysis.

CT: No problem. Just, uh – yeah, not too often, okay?

AM: Course.

JPL: On the whole, would you call your American jaunt a success?

Cap B: A qualified success.

AM: But still a success. Until the last day, I would’ve said it was an almost complete failure, but we found the missing guy and sort of… built some bridges, so it wasn’t that bad all together.

JPL: Good. Any other business?

SP: I want to pick your brains about the Bermuda Triangle anomaly phenomenon some time this week, if that’s OK with you two.

AM: Sure.

Cap B: Fine.

Maj R: I hear you met some old friends of mine.

Cap B: … I think I might have done, sir.

Maj R: We’ll have to have a word about that at some point.

Cap B: Certainly, sir.

SH: Abby, I didn’t get a copy of the animal handling report.

AM: I sent you one!

SH: There’s a Steven Hart in IT. Steven with a V.

AM: … I’ll send you another one. And go through it with you, there are some points you might life elaborated.

SH: OK. Let me know when you’re free to do that, I know you’ll want to check over all the creatures we have with us.

DQ: Well I want to know about the fleshpots of Florida.

 

(Several people uttered words to the effect of ‘Shut up, Danny’.)

 

JPL: Quinn? Mammoth. The rest of you, out.

 

(Meeting disperses.)

 

ACTION:

 

-Sarah Page to discuss historic Bermuda Triangle anomalies with Abby Maitland and Captain Becker

-Major Ryan and Captain Becker to discuss military contingent of Temporal Phenomena Research Unit

-Stephen Hart and Abby Maitland to discuss animal handling procedures of TPRU

-Danny Quinn to be signed up for Colombian mammoth care.

 

***

 

From: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

To: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

Subject: (no subject)

 

God, I’m so glad I’m home.

 

Come to London. I have a cold flat and a large selection of takeaway menus and I need a best friend to share them with.

 

From: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

To: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: (no subject)

 

Oh, that’s nice. ‘A’ best friend?

 

From: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

To: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: (no subject)

 

Well, you can get them off eBay, but I hear the homegrown models are nicer. So I thought I’d stick with you. You’ve never let me down yet.

 

From: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

To: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Re: (no subject)

 

I am genuinely touched. And also getting the nine am train into Victoria tomorrow. I want to hear all about your taxpayer-funded jaunt to the tropics.

 

From: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

To: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: (no subject)

  
Pretty sure that’s classified… but I can tell you all about BA business class!

 

From: Morris [only.a.morris@gmail.com]

To: Becker [just.becker@gmail.com]

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: (no subject)

 

Oh, shut up.


End file.
